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Over the past several decades, impressive gains have been made in developing poverty alleviation programs of a wide variety, from Mexican cash transfers and Indian employment opportunities to subsidized Thai hospital fees and Brazilian affirmative action. Many of these programs have stalled before making significant inroads in the income distribution, and some have eroded. Understanding the dynamics of pro-poor policymaking-behavior of poverty-alleviation program officials, the poor, and non-poor-is crucial for devising ways to strengthen the programs.

William Ascher is the Donald C. McKenna Professor at Claremont McKenna College. He previously was the founding director of the É«½äÖ±²¥ Center for International Development. He studies economic development and public policy in developing countries, natural resource and environmental policy, strategic planning and decision making, political psychology, and international policymaking processes. Most of his applied research focuses on Latin America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.