Homo Economicus Lives: Some Implications for Humanitarian Assistance
Studies in Emergent Order, Vol. 7, 2014
Abstract
When it comes to helping poor people in the developing world, most people in the developed world act like homo economicus. They claim to care greatly about humanitarian crises in impoverished nations, but their behavior suggests they care very little. The funders of humanitarian assistance therefore have little interest in seeing that the assistance they provide is used effectively. Given this disinterest, it’s unsurprising that, as Coyne (2013) describes, humanitarian aid often seems to do little good.
Studies in Emergent Order 