Understanding the Structure of Social Policy Preferences in Latin America
Research question/goal:
The project analyses the determinants of individual-level support for social policy in a number of Latin American countries. Recent years have seen the expansion of progressive, non-contributory policies that provide social protection to low-income groups across the developing world, such as cash transfers conditional on a number of behavioural requirements. However, we know little about the politics and in particular, about the demand underpinning social policy expansion. What is the nature of support for non-contributory social protection policies? And what shapes demand for social investment policies relative to social assistance policies? Theoretically, it builds on recent insights in the literature on welfare states that emphasise that social policy is multidimensional. Empirically, it combines experimental evidence and in-depth studies of preference formation to identify preferences for social protection policies in five Latin American countries.
