It's been a popular idea in econ circles for a while that giving poor people cash helps them more than giving them other forms of aid. There's less overhead, a

It's been a popular idea in econ circles for a while that giving poor people cash helps them more than giving them other forms of aid. There's less overhead, and it allows them to buy what they need, instead of what other people think they need. Obviously there's potential for abuse, but that's the case with regular aid, too, and it doesn't end up making a big difference. Also maybe not entirely fair, but it's a net gain, which is better than no gain at all. Google can probably find better references, but here are a couple of links backing the idea: http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/08/costs-foreign-aid http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/08/costs-fo... http://www.econlife.com/foreign-aid-through-cash-grants/ http://www.econlife.com/foreign-aid-through-cash-grants/