If any charity is efficient (or merely more efficient than burning the money), then according to the philanthropist’s values it would be better for the world if any government printed money and spent it on that charity. I don’t think GiveDirectly is different in any meaningful way. As far as I can tell it sometimes seems different to people because thinking about giving cash reminds them that economics is a thing, which they often forget when thinking about other interventions.
There are some more subtle issues with inflation expectations, but I think those are really second-order considerations compared to the obvious “society gets more of what you pay for, and slightly less of everything else.”
If any charity is efficient (or merely more efficient than burning the money), then according to the philanthropist’s values it would be better for the world if any government printed money and spent it on that charity. I don’t think GiveDirectly is different in any meaningful way. As far as I can tell it sometimes seems different to people because thinking about giving cash reminds them that economics is a thing, which they often forget when thinking about other interventions.
There are some more subtle issues with inflation expectations, but I think those are really second-order considerations compared to the obvious “society gets more of what you pay for, and slightly less of everything else.”