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Anti-Poverty Transfers without Riots in Tunisia

Author

Listed:
  • Christophe Muller

    (Universidad de Alicante)

Abstract
In this paper, we draw some lessons from the Tunisian experience of social reforms and associated civil conflict. Our main interest is the riots that occurred after subsidy cuts and the attempts at substitution of price subsidies by direct cash transfers. We propose new welfare indicators apt to assess policy reforms in such situations. Using micro level data, we show that plausible policy decisions depend on parameters describing the balance between poverty and program exclusion risk. In the Tunisian case, only a much larger weight put on poverty relatively to exclusion could bring the decision maker to substitute the in force price subsidies with direct cash transfers.

Suggested Citation

  • Christophe Muller, 2008. "Anti-Poverty Transfers without Riots in Tunisia," Working Papers. Serie AD 2008-08, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    • Handle: RePEc:ivi:wpasad:2008-08
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    File URL: http://www.ivie.es/downloads/docs/wpasad/wpasad-2008-08.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohammad Abu-Zaineh & Habiba Romdhane & Bruno Ventelou & Jean-Paul Moatti & Arfa Chokri, 2013. "Appraising financial protection in health: the case of Tunisia," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 73-93, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty; Social conflicts; North Africa; Tunisia; Targeting; Social transfers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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