Perpetuating poverty through exclusion from social programmes: lessons from Andhra Pradesh

ABSTRACT

What factors underlie the exclusion of some poor households from welfare programmes? This article analyses the question through a comparative examination of households’ demographic characteristics, social capital and communities’ spatial (dis)advantage as determinants of enrolment in three social programmes in Andhra Pradesh, India. The main findings indicate that traditionally marginalised demographic groups do not experience programme exclusion significantly more than other groups, but that households’ social-network capital and communities’ spatial advantage increase households’ programme inclusion. The importance of social capital for programme inclusion wanes, however, in spatially more advantaged communities.