Poor
Economics by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo calls for people to not
be discouraged by the enormous issue of poverty. A study they did where they showed students different fliers
with information about the poor and then asked for donations confirmed the idea
that while people’s first thought is to be generous, they often rethink and
decide there is no point since the problem of poverty will never be
solved. The book emphasizes that
the most important factor to solve poverty is where the aid given by
individuals or nations to poor countries goes rather than where the money comes
from because poverty is not solely about a lack of income, but rather a poor
person not having the capabilities to reach his or her full potential. The chapter concludes by determining
that poverty is a trap when opportunity expands dramatically for those can
invest just a bit more than others.
For example, a farmer who needs fertilizer. Although the farmer may be able to buy half a bag of
fertilizer himself, he will only reach a real agricultural boom when he
receives a full bag, which is where aid could be of large help. Poverty may seem like a permanent part
of our nation, but it does not need to be.