A country that tamed an elusive challenge -- Two distinct phases of market incorporation -- The social policy regime: creation, expansion and resilience -- The state as the central actor: elites, ideas and legacies -- Conclusion: what can we learn from the Costa Rican case?

Few countries have achieved social development, which requires simultaneously securing market and social incorporation (good jobs and access to social services). This book reviews Costa Rica's experience as one of the few successful cases of double incorporation in the periphery.