The Politics of Citizen’s Income Programs in Latin America: Policy Legacies and Party Character

Abstract

Despite significant consensus within technocratic circles that Citizen’s Income (CI) provides an effective tool for combating poverty and addressing Latin America’s high levels of income inequality, governments in the region have been slow to push for such reforms. While resource constraints are often cited as a core obstacle to the formulation of wide-reaching income-support programs, proponents of CI schemes also face significant political obstacles. This raises an important and pressing question: what are the political conditions that facilitate the adoption of CI schemes in Latin America? This chapter seeks to address this question, paying close attention to factors that support the formation of a political coalition capable of promoting and passing CI policy. In particular, I argue that the design of previous policies, or policy legacies, and the character of political parties influence the ability of Latin American states to reform income assistance policy so as to expand coverage and standardize benefits across different sectors of society.