Social Policy Expansion in Latin America

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.