Protecting Children from Poverty in Unequal Democracies: The Determinants of Public Opinion on Child Cash Transfers in Latin America

 

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Авторы: Blofield, Merike, Borges, Fabián, Martínez Franzoni, Juliana
Формат: artículo original
Дата публикации:2026
Описание:Although conditional cash transfers are a cornerstone of Latin American welfare states, little is known about the public opinion dynamics that sustain or challenge their long-term viability. Drawing on original, nationally representative surveys conducted in 2022 in seven Latin American democracies (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru), this article examines public support for cash transfers toward children across three dimensions: existence (yes/no), breadth (who should receive them) and adequacy (benefit levels). Across all countries, we find widespread support for such transfers, challenging the notion that only universal policies can create broad social support. However, preferences for expansion vary significantly across countries, with only partial alignment with existing coverage: support is highest in countries with extensive and minimal program coverage. Logistic regression models reveal that gender and household composition (living with children and being of reproductive age) are strong predictors of individual preferences, in addition to ideology and income. These findings contribute to existing scholarship by highlighting the role of gender and household composition in shaping social policy preferences.
Страна:Kérwá
Институт:Universidad de Costa Rica
Repositorio:Kérwá
Язык:Inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:kerwa.ucr.ac.cr:10669/104551
Online-ссылка:https://hdl.handle.net/10669/104551
https://doi.org/10.1017/lap.2026.10046
Ключевое слово:Comparative social policy
public opinion
health policy
family policy
gender policy