The Politics of Policies. Economic and Social Progress in Latin America. 2006 Report (David Rockefeller/Inter-American Development Bank)

Why do some policies succeed while others do not? Why do some reforms persist while others fall apart? What enables a country to adjust its policies to cope with change, or to deal with previous failures? What determines the capacity of countries to design, approve, and implement effective policies, and sustain them over time? The 2006 Report on Economic and Social Progress in Latin America (IPES) addresses these questions. This volume appears after more than a decade of political and economic reform in Latin America and the Caribbean. The success of these reforms-and the quality of public policies-has varied widely. As a result, recognition has spread that good policy "recipes" are not enough. Specific policy recipes, no matter how well conceived, are necessary but not sufficient for success. The outcomes of particular policies depend critically on the quality of the policymaking process through which they are applied. Only by improving the policymaking process, and taking better account of this process when designing and implementing policies, can we expect sustainable improvements in public policies and in their impact on development and people's lives. This study analyzes how the workings of the policymaking process affect the quality of policy outcomes. It looks beyond a purely technocratic approach to policymaking, delving into the messy world of politics. It argues that the political process and the policymaking process are inseparable, and that failing to understand one risks failure with the other. It offers a wide variety of examples and case studies, using an analytical framework that can help explain why policies that work in certain institutional environments may not work in others. The study also yields useful insights for the design of effective policy reform.