Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking Of The Way... Apr 2026

Designing programs based on political beliefs rather than what people actually need.

Through years of randomized control trials (RCTs) conducted at J-PAL , Banerjee and Duflo uncovered some surprising truths: a rich new book from Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way...

In their groundbreaking book, , Nobel Prize winners Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo suggest we stop looking for "grand theories" and start looking at the actual lives of the poor. The Trap of the "Three Is" Designing programs based on political beliefs rather than

Doing things the way they’ve always been done because it’s easier than innovating. Radical Insights from the Ground The Trap of the "Three Is" Doing things

Most poverty policies fail because of what the authors call the "Three Is": .

Rethinking Poverty: Why "Small Steps" are a Giant Leap What if everything we thought we knew about fighting global poverty was wrong? For decades, the debate has been stuck between two extremes: those who believe massive foreign aid is the only answer and those who argue it only creates a cycle of dependency.

A lack of understanding about why the poor make the choices they do—like why someone might choose to buy a TV instead of more nutritious food.