section_path: Obstacles
section_name: Obstacles
paragraph_text: Obstacles
  
  Economist William Easterly diagnoses a problem with the traditional approach to poverty reduction, whose advocates he calls "Planners." He notes that $2.3 trillion were spent on foreign aid in five decades, yet twelve-cent medicines were not able to be given to children to prevent malaria -related deaths and three dollars were not given to new mothers to help prevent millions of child deaths. He argues that even though the aid was well-meaning, it failed to bring results because "Planners," and not "Searchers," are supplying it. In short, Planners are not able to motivate people to carry out their good intentions, whereas Searchers, like book retailers, find ways to make things work.