Abstract

DION, Michelle. Globalization, Political Regime Type, and Social Spending in Middle Income Countries, 1980-1999. Polít. gob [online]. 2006, vol.13, n.1, pp.11-49. ISSN 1665-2037.

Current debates suggest that economic globalization can either lead to a race to the bottomin which states lose their policy making autonomy or to a renewed commitment by the state to provide social benefits to its citizens. Comparative research on policy reform,however, suggests that political regime type is an important determinant of social policy.An analysis of education, health and social protection spending in a sample of 39 middleincome countries between 1980 and 1999 demonstrates that different dimensions of economicintegration are associated with adjustments to social spending, which are in partmediated by political regime type. Increased trade integration leads to more investmentin human capital, especially in authoritarian regimes, but reduces expenditures on socialprotection in comparison to democracies.

Keywords : globalization; social spending; regime type; policy making; human capital.

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