Redefining the Poverty Debate: Why a War on Markets is No Substitute for a War on Poverty (Research Monograph): 67 - Softcover

Niemietz, Kristian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0255366523 ISBN 13: 9780255366526

Publisher: Institute of Economic Affairs, 2012

Synopsis

The political debate about poverty is entirely dominated by groups calling for more income transfers to the poor. However, now that the scope of our welfare state has reached - or even surpassed - Scandinavian levels, surely this approach has run its course. Award-winning author Kristian Niemietz lays out another approach to dealing with the problem of poverty - one that focuses on addressing the problems caused by government interventions that raise the cost of living. These interventions are enormous in their effect on the poor. As the author points out, the poverty lobbies are more or less silent on these crucial matters. This has not always been the case. In the past, free-trade movements, for example, had been seen as pro-poor movements. Alongside radical market reforms, the author proposes wide-ranging welfare reform to encourage work and remove the penalties on family formation. This would include a form of negative income tax system and the localisation of welfare decisions.

About this title

About the Author

Dr Kristian Niemietz is the Head of Health and Welfare at the Institute of Economic Affairs, and a Research Fellow at the Age Endeavour Fellowship (AEF). Kristian studied economics at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Universidad de Sala-manca, and political economy at King's College London, where he obtained his doctorate. He is the author of the IEA monographs Redefining the Poverty Debate and A New Understanding of Poverty, the latter winning the 2011 Templeton Freedom Award in the category 'Free Enter-prise Solutions to Poverty'.

Edition details

• Publisher: Institute of Economic Affairs
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0255366523
• ISBN 13: 9780255366526
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 251