Social Policy Expansion in Latin America

This book provides a novel explanation of widespread social policy expansion in Latin America beginning in the 1990s.

Candelaria Garay (Author)

9781107152229, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 January 2017

348 pages
23.6 x 15.8 x 2.8 cm, 0.69 kg

'The book is particularly noteworthy because it contradicts the predominant view in contemporary political science that emphasizes patronage and clientelism as the key determinants for understanding social policy provision in Latin America. Future scholars seeking to understand social policies and their effects in Latin America will have to reconcile their theories and results with the powerful arguments advanced in this volume by having to consider how the transition to democracy influences welfare state developments differently depending on political context.' Lorena Barberia, ReVista

Throughout the twentieth century, much of the population in Latin America lacked access to social protection. Since the 1990s, however, social policy for millions of outsiders - rural, informal, and unemployed workers and dependents - has been expanded dramatically. Social Policy Expansion in Latin America shows that the critical factors driving expansion are electoral competition for the vote of outsiders and social mobilization for policy change. The balance of partisan power and the involvement of social movements in policy design explain cross-national variation in policy models, in terms of benefit levels, coverage, and civil society participation in implementation. The book draws on in-depth case studies of policy making in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico over several administrations and across three policy areas: health care, pensions, and income support. Secondary case studies illustrate how the theory applies to other developing countries.

1. Including outsiders in Latin America
2. Explaining social policy expansion and policy models
3. The social policy divide in Latin America
4. Social mobilization, electoral competition for outsiders and inclusive social policy in Brazil
5. Social mobilization and inclusive social policy in Argentina
6. Electoral competition for outsiders, conservative power and restrictive social policy in Mexico
7. Electoral competition for outsiders, conservative power and restrictive social policy in Chile
8. Social policy expansion in comparative perspective
Appendices
Bibliography
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Sociology [JHB]