This book offers readers a deeper understanding of the diffusion process of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs in Latin America and the role played by experts and international organizations. CCTs have been increasingly implemented around the world in recent decades, and by 2010, 17 countries in Latin America had adopted them. The evidence suggests that this concentration is due to a process of policy diffusion. International organizations contribute to this process; however, the books main argument is that there was another, more important actor involved: a regional epistemic community that increased the availability of information about CCTs and reinforced their legitimacy, playing a role in the domestic processes of formulation and adoption.
This book addresses the diffusion of the programs throughout the region; diffusion mechanisms that can help us understand the programs adoption (emulation, learning and coercion); and the impacts of key actors on the process (epistemic community, international organizations and policymakers).
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Social Policies and Conditional Cash Transfer Programs (CCTs) in Latin America
2.1Conditional Cash Transfer Programs
2.2 The social policy context of the 1990s
2.3 CCTs in Latin America
a. Characteristics of the CCTs
b. The emblematic cases of CCTs in the region: Brazil and Mexico
c. CCT Assessments and Challenges
2.4. The debate about the diffusion of the programs
Chapter 3. Mechanisms and actors in the diffusion of policies. State of the issue and theoretical proposal
3.1. The Policy Diffusion Approach
a. Diffusion mechanisms
3.2. Discussion on the approach and study proposal
Chapter 4. Quantitative Analysis of the Diffusion of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America
4.1 The wave of diffusion of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programs
a. The wave of diffusion of the CCTs
b. The diffusion of the CCT model and its behavior over time
b.1. The essential characteristics
b.2. Behavior over time of secondary and additional components
4.2. Statistical models and their contribution to research hypotheses
a. Period analyzed and time variables
b. Analysis unit
c. Dependent variable
d. Independent variables
d.1. Domestic independent variables
d.2. External independent variables
e. Presentation of the models
4.3 Analysis of results
Chapter 5. The Epistemic Community and International Organizations in the Diffusion of CCTs
5.1. The epistemic community and the role of banks during the first years of the wave of diffusion
5.2. The epistemic community from 2000
5.3. The epistemic community and other international organizations
5.4. Final comments
Chapter 6. Chile. The Chile Solidario program
6.1. The context in which the Chile Solidario program emerged
6.2. The process of adopting the Chile Solidario program
6.3. The learning diffusion mechanism
Chapter 7. Ecuador, the Human Development Bond
7.1. The economic and political context
7.2. The process of adoption of the Bono Desarrollo Humano and its stakeholders
a. 1998- 2003: The Bono Solidario
b. The inclusion of conditionalities: The transition from Bono Solidario to Bono Desarrollo Humano
c. The Bono Desarrollo Humano and the social protection
7.3. Diffusion mechanisms: moderate coercion and emulation
Chapter 8. Conclusions
8.1. Discussion about the hypotheses
a. "The most suitable alternative." The consensus after the adoption of the CCTs
b. Diffusion through various mechanisms: learning, emulation and moderate coercion
c. National institutional capacities and their linkage to diffusion mechanisms
8.2. Considerations regarding the approach and methodology adopted
8.3. Remaining issues and future challenges
