Redistributive Conflict and Social Policy in Latin America

SummaryInequality has been a long-standing feature of Latin America. This article is an examination of the redistributive and social policy struggles in two countries of the region: Mexico and Chile. While electoral democracy has propelled redistributive issues onto the policy agenda, redistributive struggles are intense and progress in policy to address inequality is slow to emerge. Attention has been focused on cash transfer programs because of their ability to garner approval from a cross-section of public opinion, particularly from the most powerful. While such programs have an important contribution to make to poverty reduction, societal redistributive compromises are essential to an efficacious strategy to reduce poverty and inequality over the long term.