The Political Economy of “Targeting” of Social Security Schemes

Organization(s): Development Pathways
Author: Stephen Kidd
Year: 2015
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This paper examines the evidence on the political economy of “targeting.” It will begin by examining the history of social security in developed countries, focusing in particular on the evolution of Poor Relief in 19th Century Europe. It will then examine contemporary tax-financed old age pensions and Poor Relief schemes across developing countries before moving on to a number of particular case studies from the United Kingdom and Mongolia. A further case study from Uganda will examine how an analysis of the political economy of targeting was used to influence the design of a pilot social security scheme in order to generate greater political support for its expansion.

Social Protection and Human Rights