The changing demand for welfare in rural Pakistan

July 6, 2021

Rehan Rafay Jamil, Political Science PhD candidate recently contributed an article for Ideas for India titled, "The changing demand for welfare in rural Pakistan", with co-author Mateo Iudice.  They argue that, the proliferation of cash transfer programmes in developing countries has raised concern regarding a crowding-out effect on citizens' demands for investment in universal public services. Based on a household survey in rural Pakistan, this article shows that this is not necessarily true. It notes important sub-national differences in programme effects, with greater positive spillovers in settings where public services are functional and valued by citizens. Read the full post.