In a slow process marked by authoritarian moments, regressive effects, bureaucratic insulation, centralized arrangements and cronyism, since the 1930s Brazil has been building its Welfare State. In the wake of struggles and political clashes for ensuring rights and reviving democracy, the...

The study examines a particular set of institutional determinants of inequality, the public pensions. It tests the hypothesis that different rules regarding a maximum limit for the value of benefits in the pension subsystem of public and private sector workers makes the system as a whole...

The progress occurred over the last decade is undeniable, combining less poverty, with more choice and access to better services, as well as better use of these services by families with children. However, more important than the speed of progress may be the fact that it was clearly equalizing....

This study aims to propose principles that are fully compatible with the historical evolution of the Bolsa Família program and with its current dimension. These principles provide the size of the population to be served and the magnitude of benefits to be granted for any scenario of growth in...

In 2006, the Bolsa Família Program completed its expansion, expecting to cover 11 million beneficiary families. The objective of this article is to evaluate whether this implied in deterioration in the program's efficient targeting and whether the target of 11 million families in fact covers...

Arguments against means-tested cash transfers for the poor based upon labor supply appear both in the specialized literature and in the media. It is possible to make a microeconomic argument pointing to a reduction in labor supply on the part of beneficiaries of a targeted cash transfer. This...

The present study analyzes the political and institutional arrangements of the new housing program in the Brasil (PMCMV), examining them both from the point of view of democracy and its effectiveness to achieve its objectives. In other words, it aks if such arrangements encourage expanded...

This document presents a review on how youth issues have been dealt with in the field of social policies in Brazil. The first paper proposes an extensive approach to the theme by revising the main concepts of youth that have given shape to public policies and pointing out some of the crucial...