# Poor Economics
## Introduction
- Rethinking Poverty
- The Need for a New Approach
- Understanding the Lives of the Poor
- The Role of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
## Part I: The Daily Life of the Poor
- Nutrition and Hunger
- Food Choices and Priorities
- The Myth of the "Hunger Trap"
- Micronutrients and Hidden Hunger
- Health and Disease
- Preventive Care and Vaccinations
- The Challenge of Diarrhea and Malaria
- Why the Poor Don't Always Seek Treatment
- Education
- The Quality of Education in Poor Communities
- Parental Expectations and Schooling
- The Role of Incentives in Education
## Part II: Institutions and Development
- Microfinance and Entrepreneurship
- The Promise and Limits of Microcredit
- Small Businesses and the Poor
- Risk and Insurance in Poor Communities
- Savings and Credit
- Why the Poor Save Less
- Informal Savings Mechanisms
- The Role of Commitment Devices
- Population and Family Planning
- Fertility Decisions Among the Poor
- The Impact of Family Size on Poverty
- Access to Contraception and Information
## Part III: Policy and Governance
- Corruption and Accountability
- How Corruption Affects the Poor
- The Importance of Local Governance
- Innovations in Monitoring and Transparency
- Aid and Development
- Does Foreign Aid Work?
- The Role of NGOs and International Organizations
- Tailoring Aid to Local Contexts
- Political Economy of Poverty
- Power Dynamics and Poverty
- The Role of Elites in Shaping Policy
- Grassroots Movements and Change
## Conclusion
- Lessons from Poor Economics
- Small Changes, Big Impacts
- The Importance of Experimentation
- A Call for Humility in Development