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The article discusses the Asian rice industry in relation to the author's claim that governments in places such as Indonesia cause their own citizens to become poorer by interfering in the rice market as of 2015. According to the article, the wholesale cost of rice is higher in Indonesia than Cambodia due to Indonesia's role as a net importer of rice and Cambodia's ability to grow more rice than the nation needs. Transportation costs, import subsidies, and tariffs are also examined.

The article details conditions in two sprawling slums in different parts of the world, the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India. In both places, inhabitants are packed together in primitive shacks with almost no utilities, and trash and human waste are everywhere. Despite this, the residents of both slums, most of whom migrated from jobless rural areas, seem almost content. Governments largely ignore the slums, and obstacles to improving them are discussed.

The article focuses on the cruel, discriminating and counterproductive attitude of Chinese schools, especially in rural areas. Topics discussed are need for better education to transform the young into skilled citizens who can help growth, issue of rural poor students to travel long distance due to lack of schools and health facilities, need for Chinese government to provide public education, health and other services for an equal and fair growth.

The article focuses on former Peruvian army lieutenant-colonel Ollanta Humala who defeated Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, in Peru's 2011 Presidential election runoff. It states that uncertainty over Humala's economic policy plans resulted in the Lima stock market index to drop 12.5 percent on June 6, 2011. It comments on some of his political promises, including expanding a conditional cash-transfer program aimed to assist poor Peruvians and expanding child care.

The author argues that government regulations are increasing the costs associated with sending money to the world's poor as of 2015, and it mentions capital flow statistics for 2000 to 2014, as well as remittances sent home by migrant workers from places such as India and the Philippines. The World Bank and remittance-related reform measures are examined, as well as anti-money-laundering regulations and the Financial Action Task Force inter-governmental entity.

Examines the budget problems in California. How the world's six-largest economy is broke; Proposals to fix the issues from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who has proposed a $111.7 billion budget for the 2005; Solutions to out of control spending which includes a heavy cut back in non-mandated programs, some adjustments of mandated bits and borrowing; Belief that this is a more honest budget than the state usually sees; Angry reaction from the public schools who had been promised money they will not see; Cutting of benefits for state employees; Changes in Medi-Cal which could hurt the poor; Reaction from the state's Democrats; Possibilities of some compromise on the plan.

Comments on United States contributions to global economic development. Impact on the U.S. of an impoverished country collapsing; View that the U.S. should pledge assistance of at least 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP); How the U.S. compares to other countries in providing aid to poor countries; Guidelines suggested for U.S. investment in foreign policy.

Discusses pension policy in Great Britain as of spring 2001. Details of 'stakeholder pensions' and how they compare to personal pensions; Groups being targeted for the stakeholder pensions; Effect of chancellor of the exchequer Gordon Brown's decision to increase the means-treated Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for poor pensioners; Outlook for compulsory stakeholder pensions.

The article comments on policies of U.S. President George W. Bush toward the poor in the U.S. Bush has laid out proposals for reforming Social Security, a public-pension system. The proposals, as stated, make a contrast to Vice-President Albert Gore's refusal to touch the pension programme at all. On education, Bush has offered voters more choice and competition in schools. By offering more choice, as also stated, he is focusing on the poor.

Presents information on the reforms proposed by Great Britain's social-security secretary, Alistair Darling to help poor pensioners. State of the pension industry in Great Britain; How the savings policies are seen as incoherent; Darling's reforms set to fix the problems with the system; Complexity of pensions; Rise in means-tested help; The state pensions available to all; Graph of the ratio of workers to retired people.

Opinion. Discusses the economic divisions among Americans. The mistaken idea that the problems are generational; American generosity toward the elderly; Priorities of the young and old generations; The supposition that social-welfare problems are helping the poor in the United States; The fact that most government support goes to middle and upper class Americans.

The article discusses poverty in Latin America. All but a wretched pair (Haiti and Nicaragua) of Latin American countries are officially classed as "middle-income" and all (except Cuba) are democracies. Yet Latin America has another trait: a hugely unequal distribution of income and wealth. A disproportionately large number of Latin Americans are poor. The region's democratic governments have started to make innovative efforts to tackle poverty. These center on programs that offer poor families cash payments on condition, for example, that they keep their children in school and take them for regular health check-ups. In Mexico, 5 million families now get such payments, and 7.5 million in Brazil.

The article discusses whether United States President George W. Bush means what he says about being a compassionate conservative. Back in 2000, Bush defined himself as a compassionate conservative. This was partly a matter of branding: he softened the image of his party by talking about spending more money on education and health. But compassionate conservatism was also presented as a new way to help the poor: its aim was to use public money and private donations to involve churches, temples and mosques in America's social policy. Yet compassionate conservatism has been inadequately financed, not supported by any real political commitment and representative of a huge gap between the president's rhetoric and practice. David Kuo, the former deputy director of the White House's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, argued in Beliefnet.com, a religious website, that Bush's "promises remain unfulfilled in spirit and in fact."

Reports on the success of welfare reform in the United States as of summer 2001. Importance of the social policy change encompassed by reform which has rekindled the nuclear family; Data on the economic success of reform; Challenges for America and Europe in the treatment of the poor.