Scientific Definition
Means-tested benefits that drop sharply at income thresholds penalize recipients for earning more.
Plain-English Definition
Means-tested benefits that drop sharply at income thresholds penalize recipients for earning more.
Feynman Explanation
A raise can be a pay cut for the working poor.
Core Principle
Means-tested benefits that drop sharply at income thresholds penalize recipients for earning more.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Means-tested benefits that drop sharply at income thresholds penalize recipients for earning more.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Eligibility steps shape labor supply curves.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
A raise can be a pay cut for the working poor.
Examples
- Combined cliffs in Medicaid, SNAP, child care, and housing.
- Eligibility steps shape labor supply curves.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Phase-out tapers. Benefit smoothing models.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Phase-out tapers. Benefit smoothing models.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
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Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
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Aggressive enforcement and complex eligibility turn a safety net into a liability trap.
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Federal funds subsidize new lanes while states absorb perpetual maintenance.