Social Policies II: The Chilean Case

Abstract

This article characterizes the Chilean experience with the provision of social services. This is done for social programs in health care, education, monetary subsidies, and nutrition. The article provides a description of the institutional and financial aspects as well as an overall evaluation for each sector. The study of the Chilean case is important in the context of social policy reforms which is emerging in Latin American countries. The importance stems from the fact that major issues that are being considered in the region -targeting, decentralization, private provision, cost recovery, and demand subsidies- were introduced in Chile more than a decade ago.