Fragmented policymaking in Mexico: the design of social programs in a subnational case
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Fecha
2021-11
Autores
Moreno-Jaimes, Carlos
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Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública (España)
Resumen
Descripción
Los gobiernos subnacionales en México han aumentado significativamente su papel como formuladores de políticas. Como resultado, han creado una amplia variedad de programas sociales. Aunque los efectos de estas intervenciones en la reducción de la pobreza o en otros indicadores son inciertos, el análisis de su diseño puede proporcionar información valiosa sobre cómo se concibe la política social. Utilizo el caso de Jalisco, uno de los estados del país que más han desarrollado sistemas de evaluación y monitoreo para la gestión de políticas públicas, para analizar el diseño de consistencia interna de sus programas sociales (la lógica entre definición del problema, la pertinencia de fines y la selección de instrumentos) y su grado de articulación horizontal (en qué medida los programas se duplican o complementan entre sí). A partir de una base de datos original con más de 100 variables de 339 programas, encuentro que éstos tienen un nivel deficiente de consistencia interna, particularmente en lo relativo a la formulación de los problemas. Además, los programas están muy atomizados, pues hay demasiadas intervenciones que atienden intereses particulares, no a grupos sociales más amplios. Sostengo que, pese a operar en un contexto donde la formulación y la evaluación se encuentran altamente institucionalizadas, los programas sociales son considerablemente inconsistentes y fragmentados, lo que sugiere que no son una respuesta deliberada a problemas que exigen soluciones.
Subnational governments in Mexico have significantly increased their role as policymakers. As a result, they have contributed to the creation of a wide variety of social programs earmarked to different target populations. Although the effects of these interventions on poverty reduction or on other development indicators are uncertain, analyzing their design can provide valuable insights about how social policy is conceived. In this article, I use the case of Jalisco, one of the states in Mexico that has taken the lead in the development of evaluation and monitoring mechanism to manage policymaking, to analyze the internal consistency design of social programs (the logic between problem definition, pertinence of goals and instrument selection) and their degree of horizontal articulation (to what extent programs duplicate or complement with each other). Drawing on an original dataset with more than 100 variables for 339 social programs, I find that policy interventions have a poor level of internal consistency, particularly regarding the formulation of policy problems. In addition, programs are highly atomized, which means that too many interventions aim at particularized interests, not at broader social groups. I argue that, notwithstanding that they operate in context where the formulation and evaluation of public policy are highly institutionalized, social programs are considerably inconsistent and fragmented, suggesting that they are not a deliberative response to social problems demanding solutions.
Subnational governments in Mexico have significantly increased their role as policymakers. As a result, they have contributed to the creation of a wide variety of social programs earmarked to different target populations. Although the effects of these interventions on poverty reduction or on other development indicators are uncertain, analyzing their design can provide valuable insights about how social policy is conceived. In this article, I use the case of Jalisco, one of the states in Mexico that has taken the lead in the development of evaluation and monitoring mechanism to manage policymaking, to analyze the internal consistency design of social programs (the logic between problem definition, pertinence of goals and instrument selection) and their degree of horizontal articulation (to what extent programs duplicate or complement with each other). Drawing on an original dataset with more than 100 variables for 339 social programs, I find that policy interventions have a poor level of internal consistency, particularly regarding the formulation of policy problems. In addition, programs are highly atomized, which means that too many interventions aim at particularized interests, not at broader social groups. I argue that, notwithstanding that they operate in context where the formulation and evaluation of public policy are highly institutionalized, social programs are considerably inconsistent and fragmented, suggesting that they are not a deliberative response to social problems demanding solutions.
Palabras clave
México, Gobiernos subnacionales, Políticas Públicas, Subnational Policymaking
Citación
Carlos Moreno-Jaimes (2021). Fragmented policymaking in Mexico: the design of social programs in a subnational case. Gestión y Análisis de Políticas Públicas, núm.27: 131-145. https://doi.org/10.24965/gapp.i27.10948