More Money Was Supposed to Help Poor Kids. So Why Didn’t It?
Description
For many, the logic seemed unassailable: Giving poor families money would measurably improve the lives of their children. And so a few years ago, social scientists set out to test whether that assumption was right.
The results of the experiment have shocked them.
Guest: Jason DeParle, a Times reporter who covers poverty in the United States.
Background reading:
- A rigorous experiment appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Photo: Andrew Seng for The New York Times
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In general, but particularly considering the results, this study should have been cancelled, and or the results not published. Sooooo many unintended factors clearly affected this study that the only justification I can see for publishing was b/c they didn't want so much time/money/effort wasted.