There is little empirical evidence to support the claim that public spending improves education and health indicators. This paper uses cross-sectional data for 50 developing and transition countries to show that expenditure allocations within the two social sectors improve both access to and...

This paper presents an analysis of the social impact of the economic crisis and reform programs in three Asian countries: Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand. The focus is on changes in real consumption expenditures arising from higher inflation and unemployment