A Class of Poverty Traps: A Theory and Empirical Tests

Comparatively low levels of health and economic institutions are present in certain countries and not in others. Implications drawn from this observation are used to modify the Solow-Swan economic growth model. Conjectures are derived from the resulting model concerning what circumstances are likely to generate a health-only poverty trap and a health-cum-institutions poverty trap. These conjectures are tested through the use of quasi-controlled experimental evidence and econometric tests based on cross-country data sets. These tests support the conjecture that this class of poverty traps exists. Certain implications follow regarding the broad design of development policy.