While the logistics of distributing cash to poor populations would
not be without challenges, recent advances in biometric
identification technologies—such as fingerprint and iris scanning—
have greatly expanded the promise of implementing large-scale
welfare programs in poor countries.
References
Chandy, L. and G. Gertz (2011a). “Poverty in Numbers: The Changing State of
Global Poverty from 2005 to 2015.” The Brookings Institution.
Chandy, L. and G. Gertz (2011b). “Two Trends in Global Poverty.” The
Brookings Institution.
Chen, S. and M. Ravallion (2008). “The Developing World is Poorer than We
Thought but No Less Successful in the Fight against Poverty.” World Bank
Policy Research Working Paper #4703.
Kenny, C. (2011). Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding—And How We
Can Improve the World Even More. New York: Basic Books.
Hanlon, J., Barrientos, A. and D. Hulme (2010). Just Give Money to the Poor: The
Development Revolution from the Global South. Sterling: Kumarian Press.