Is Cash a Public Good or a Basic Right? Understanding the State of the Debate

A large body of literature on the benefits of cash has been recently developed. Many of these publications address the issue using the frameworks of public goods and of basic rights, reaching different conclusions. Despite using similar terms, authors often use different definitions of key concepts. This paper puts forward an analytical framework that helps to identify this issue in order to navigate the literature with clarity and to advance the debate on the policy implications