The Ukrainian Power Elite and Poverty Reductive Efforts: An Inquiry into a Selection of Elite Members’ Legislative and Philanthropic Initiatives

Abstract

This study inquires the efforts of the Ukrainian political–economic elite to improve the situation for the poor in Ukraine through legislative and private philanthropic initiatives. We compare three groups: politically active philanthropists, non-politically active philanthropists and politically active non-philanthropists. Findings show that poverty reduction efforts made by the selected elite members are rather negligible. While the wealthiest business owners focus on non-poverty reductive single-shot actions, politicians seem to emphasize non-poverty reductive long-term projects. Those with both political and economic capital tend to use either both types of capital or none of them to ease the situation for the most vulnerable groups.