How ‘Liberal’ Are Latin American Welfare Regimes?

Abstract

Esping-Andersen (1990) identified three core ‘types’ of welfare regime: liberal, conservative and social democratic. Liberal welfare regimes privilege market solutions to social problems. The canonical Liberal welfare regime is characterised by a mix of residual social assistance, moderate social insurance and citizenship-based transfers. In the middle of the twentieth century welfare institutions in Latin America reflected an incipient conservative welfare regime. At the turn of the new century, large scale reforms appear to have shifted welfare institutions in the region towards a liberal welfare regime. Individual retirement accounts introduced private and market pension schemes in several countries. Rapid expansion of social assistance provision represents further movement towards a liberal welfare regime. This chapter revisits the ‘canonical’ liberal welfare regime, assesses the extent to which welfare institutions in Latin America have become ‘liberal’ and examines potential implications for theories of welfare development.