Welfare and Party Politics in Latin America

'Why are social policy outcomes so distinct between progressive governments? Jennifer Pribble demonstrates that similar goals to reduce poverty and inequality follow different paths. Her book combines legacies, power resources, and strategies to unpack 'the left', showing the ways, means, and constraints shaping policy reform. This book is a superb contribution to the study of social policy and inequality.' Juliana Martinez Franzoni, University of Costa Rica 'Jennifer Pribble's exhaustively researched and carefully argued study offers a new and compelling explanation for the varying types of social policy reform that Latin American countries have implemented in recent years. Particularly noteworthy is her emphasis on the party-voter linkages that have shaped reform in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Venezuela. Welfare and Party Politics in Latin America will be required reading for anyone interested in social policy in the region or around the world.' Raul L. Madrid, University of Texas, Austin and author of The Rise of Ethnic Politics in Latin America 'In her comparative analysis of social welfare programs in contemporary Latin America, Jennifer Pribble breaks new ground by developing a clear set of indicators to distinguish different types of welfare policies, based on their degree of universalism. Moreover, she provides a compelling theoretical argument to explain how policy variation in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela is conditioned by historical policy legacies, electoral competition, and the organizational characteristics of populist and leftist parties. This book is essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the politics of social welfare and redistribution in highly unequal societies.' Kenneth M. Roberts, Cornell University 'How can developing countries promote universal social policies that reduce poverty and inequality? In this outstanding qualitative study based on more than 130 interviews, Professor Pribble highlights the role of policy legacies and programmatic left-wing parties. By comparing Chile's reforms from above with Uruguay's reforms from below, she successfully explains both the speed and depth of their move toward universalism. This book will launch a new research agenda on the role of political parties in the construction of more equal societies in Latin America and beyond.' Diego Sanchez-Ancochea, University of Oxford 'Pribble explores reforms taken by left-leaning governments in Latin America to determine whether they have produced significant changes in levels of poverty and inequality ... She contrasts Chile, with its top-down rule, and Uruguay, with policy changes based on bottom-up coalition building, and examines the advantages and disadvantages of each style...Summing up: recommended. Undergraduate, graduate, and research collections.' S. L. Rozman, Choice