Does simply giving people money truly enable them to escape poverty? (with Miriam Laker)

Read the full transcript here. (https://podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/231/#transcript) • Should we give cash directly to people living in poverty? Why do most nonprofits prefer to give services rather than cash? What should be done if the things that a person really needs aren't purchasable near them? (For example, what if a person needs a vaccine that isn't available in their country?) Can most people be trusted to spend money wisely? Are single lump sum transfers more effective than recurring transfers on monthly or yearly bases? What are the most common uses to which recipients put their cash transfers? What are the most common kinds of businesses started by entrepreneurially-minded recipients? What kinds of communities does GiveDirectly serve? How do cash transfers affect social dynamics in communities? What are the biggest challenges related to giving cash transfers? What is the evidence that cash transfers are more effective than other kinds of aid? How are the short- and long-term effects of cash transfers measured? How long do beneficial effects tend to last? Are recipients ever suspicious of GiveDirectly's motives? How often do people opt out of receiving a cash transfer? How does GiveDirectly explain to people why they (and not people in neighboring communities) were chosen to receive aid? How do recipients see their own financial situations? Do they usually see themselves as living in poverty? • Dr. Miriam Laker is the Director of Research at GiveDirectly (https://www.givedirectly.org/). In her role, she oversees the generation of robust evidence on cash transfer implementation and impacts. She is an advocate for unconditional cash transfers as a tool to end global extreme poverty. She is also a board member of the CALPNetwork and was voted one of Uganda's top 40 women under the age of 40. Connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-laker-oketta-12392b16/). Learn more about and connect with GiveDirectly on Twitter (https://twitter.com/givedirectly), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/givedirectly), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/givedirectly/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/givedirectly/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi29RpkCdO43kVN_nr8FhRA), or their website, givedirectly.org (https://www.givedirectly.org/). • Staff • Spencer Greenberg (https://www.spencergreenberg.com/) — Host / Director • Josh Castle (mailto:joshrcastle@gmail.com) — Producer • Ryan Kessler (https://tone.support/) — Audio Engineer • Uri Bram (https://uribram.com/) — Factotum • WeAmplify (https://www.weamplify.info/) — Transcriptionists • Music • Broke for Free (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Something_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Something_EP_-_05_Something_Elated) • Josh Woodward (https://www.joshwoodward.com/song/AlreadyThere) • Lee Rosevere (https://archive.org/details/MusicForPodcasts04/Lee+Rosevere+-+Music+for+Podcasts+4+-+11+Keeping+Stuff+Together.flac) • Quiet Music for Tiny Robots (https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Quiet_Music_for_Tiny_Robots/The_February_Album/05_Tiny_Robot_Armies) • wowamusic (https://gamesounds.xyz/?dir=wowamusic) • zapsplat.com (https://www.zapsplat.com/music/summer-haze-slow-chill-out-house-track-with-a-modern-pop-feel-warm-piano-chords-underpin-the-track-with-warm-pads-and-a-repetitive-synth-arpeggio/) • Affiliates • Clearer Thinking (https://www.clearerthinking.org/) • GuidedTrack (https://guidedtrack.com/) • Mind Ease (https://mindease.io/) • Positly (https://positly.com/) • UpLift (https://www.uplift.app/) [Read more: https://podcast.clearerthinking.org/episode/231/miriam-laker-does-simply-giving-people-money-truly-enable-them-to-escape-poverty]

Om Podcasten

Clearer Thinking is a podcast about ideas that truly matter. If you enjoy learning about powerful, practical concepts and frameworks, wish you had more deep, intellectual conversations in your life, or are looking for non-BS self-improvement, then we think you'll love this podcast! Each week we invite a brilliant guest to bring four important ideas to discuss for an in-depth conversation. Topics include psychology, society, behavior change, philosophy, science, artificial intelligence, math, economics, self-help, mental health, and technology. We focus on ideas that can be applied right now to make your life better or to help you better understand yourself and the world, aiming to teach you the best mental tools to enhance your learning, self-improvement efforts, and decision-making. • We take on important, thorny questions like: • What's the best way to help a friend or loved one going through a difficult time? How can we make our worldviews more accurate? How can we hone the accuracy of our thinking? What are the advantages of using our "gut" to make decisions? And when should we expect careful, analytical reflection to be more effective? Why do societies sometimes collapse? And what can we do to reduce the chance that ours collapses? Why is the world today so much worse than it could be? And what can we do to make it better? What are the good and bad parts of tradition? And are there more meaningful and ethical ways of carrying out important rituals, such as honoring the dead? How can we move beyond zero-sum, adversarial negotiations and create more positive-sum interactions?