[The creation of the state of adversity. Regulation and social policy in Latin America].
This work presents some recent information that documents the regressive effects of the external debt, and deals with promoting reflection upon the so called State of Adversity, which by means of political regulation, (and contrary to the classic State of Welfare), is being created in the Region. This work also puts forth some points which seem inevitable in the still open debate regarding the growth-equity relationship in Latin America. Firstly, a revision of the principal social and economic indicators is made beginning with the early years of this decade ('90). Secondly, the inserted patterns of regulation are synthetically introduced, and some of the results and problems are analyzed. Thirdly, and as an effect of successive regulation implementations that have not accomplished the desired macroeconomic equilibrium (nor economic growth), the creation of the State of Adversity is analyzed by means of looking at the disintegration that takes place in the incipient State of Wellbeing that exists in the Region. This disjointed situation brings with it a significant reduction in the quantity and quality of social services in the public sector and the exclusion of an even greater segment of the population (those pertaining to a characteristically subsistence level economy and low productivity). We do not deny the need for regulation, nor do we believe that it should encompass the social sectors, where significant financial allotments geared to combat suffering and poverty, at the same time, have not been unable to avoid their expansion (not to mention the total elimination of same). The problem here lies not in regulation, but in what kind of regulation and for whom. Finally, this work presents some ideas on mixed economy of wellbeing which could recover the potential of the public sector and market by urging a collective macroregulation that would make possible the needed investments to finance a growth with greater social integration.
Bustelo
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UNICEF, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
D004467:Economics; D007843:Latin America; D011203:Poverty; D011640:Public Policy; D012424:Rural Population; D012947:Social Work; D014505:Urban Population
La producción del estado de malestar. Ajuste y política social en América Latina.