El apoyo a políticas universales en América Latina.

Abstract

The debate on universal policies has strengthened in Latin America during the last few years, due to the fact that these policies present new forms of redistribution and innovative application mechanisms. However, traditional (targeted) policy makers argue that there are several difficulties surrounding the implementation of universal policies in the region, such as inefficient tax collection systems that won’t allow to cover the high costs involved in their application, problems in the control mechanisms and uncertainty about the population's support for this type of policies. In this context, the present study aims to identify the determinants that affect the probability of support for universal policies by individuals in Latin America, using data from the sixth wave of the World Value Survey and estimating a probit model. The results suggest that the variables called control over one's life and satisfaction with one's current economic situation influence the rejection of this type of policies, while the socioeconomic and labor variables have a positive influence.