Transformations of Social Policy and its Relationship with Legitimacy: Notes on Latin America in the '90s

Abstract

This article analyzes the social policies carried out during the ‘90s, offering explanations to justify their legitimacy. He claims that neoliberal reforms were not carried out effectively and equally and, therefore, they generated social problems. These changes created great tension between the prevailing institutional net, and it became necessary to obtain new power resources to cope with change and find a new balance. However, these new balance could affect democratic governance and the State’s public management capacity. Finally, it hypothesizes that to counter this effect the legitimacy of the transformation process was based on democratization and macroeconomic improvements.