Latin America's Social Policy Challenge: Education, Social Insurance, Redistribution
Latin America's Social Policy Challenge: Education, Social Insurance, Redistribution
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DOI：
10.1257/jep.27.2.193
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发表时间：
2013-03-01
影响因子：
8.4
通讯作者：
Schady, Norbert
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Levy, Santiago;Schady, Norbert
长期以来，拉丁美洲一直被宏观经济不稳定、高通胀、过度贫困和不平等所困扰，在过去20年里经历了重大转变。该区域的宏观经济管理有所改善，贫困和不平等现象大幅持续减少。在本文中，我们认为，如果要维持和扩大过去二十年的成就，需要特别关注包括人力资本和教育、社会保险和再分配在内的社会政策。从20世纪90年代中期开始，该地区的许多政府推出了各种计划，包括非缴费养老金和医疗保险，以及针对穷人的现金转移支付。拉丁美洲的社会支出急剧增加。这些政策受到了广泛的赞扬，我们认为这些政策大大改善了该地区穷人的生活。然而，一种更细微的观点显示出一些令人担忧的趋势。展望未来，我们认为有必要更加关注服务的质素，特别是教育服务的质素；对某些项目相互作用产生的激励，特别是在劳动力市场；使利益的跨期分配更加平衡，特别是在年轻人和老年人之间；以及可持续的资金来源，特别是缴款和福利之间的联系。
Long regarded as a region beset by macroeconomic instability, high inflation, and excessive poverty and inequality, Latin America has undergone a major transformation over the last 20 years. The region has seen improved macroeconomic management and substantial and sustained reductions in poverty and inequality. In this paper, we argue that social policy, including human capital and education, social insurance, and redistribution, need special attention if achievements of the last two decades are to be sustained and amplified. Starting in the mid 1990s, many governments in the region introduced a variety of programs, including noncontributory pensions and health insurance, and cash transfers targeted to the poor. Social spending in Latin America increased sharply. These policies have been widely praised, and we believe they have resulted in substantial improvements in the lives of the poor in the region. However, a more nuanced view shows some worrisome trends. Moving forward, we believe it is necessary to pay much closer attention to the quality of services, particularly in education; to the incentives generated by the interplay of some programs, particularly in the labor market; to a more balanced intertemporal distribution of benefits, particularly between young and old; and to sustainable sources of finance, particularly to the link between contributions and benefits.