Do Cash Transfers Save Lives? On the next Fiat Lux Redux, Tuesday, September 30th at 9:00AM, Edward Miguel, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Oxfam Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics, & Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley, presents findings from a decade long, large-scale experiment in Kenya on how large unconditional cash transfers affect child mortality. The findings suggest that unconditional cash transfers—though not designed for this purpose—may offer a cost-effective way to reduce child mortality in low-income settings. These findings are particularly relevant as the U.S. and other countries slash foreign aid.
This lecture took place at Alumni House on the UC Berkeley campus on November 19, 2024, and was the inaugural Berkeley Distinguished Lecture in the Social Sciences formerly the Moses Memorial Lecture. It was sponsored by the Department of Economics, the Center for Effective Global Action, Social Sciences Matrix, and Agriculture and Resource Economics.
This program was edited by Erin Foster. If you have questions or comments about Fiat Lux Redux, contact lisa.katovich@gmail.com.
Fiat Lux Redux presents previously aired lectures, conversations, and podcasts originating on the campus of UC Berkeley every other Tuesday from 9am to 9:30am. These often-lengthy original programs have been edited to a 30-minute format by experienced KALX producers. The show’s name, Latin for “Let there be light”, is a reference to the University of California’s motto, which is also Fiat Lux. The show’s goal is to provide listeners with a window into the intellectual and cultural life of UC Berkeley and to showcase the wide range of subjects and diversity of thought and ideas that are present at UC Berkeley.
