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Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs to increase primary-school enrollment and attendance among low-income households have been shown to benefit children and households, but to date little is known about who joins such programs. We test three hypotheses about predictors of CCT program participation in indigenous societies in Bolivia, focusing on attributes of the household (ethnicity), parents (modern human capital), and children (age, sex). We model whether children receive a transfer from Bolivia’s CCT program ( Bono Juancito Pinto ), using data from 811 school-age children and nine ethnic groups. Children from the group least exposed to Westerners (Tsimane’) are 18–22 percentage points less likely to participate in the program than children from other lowland ethnic groups. Parental modern human capital and child sex do not predict participation. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying the findings and conclude that the Tsimane’s current lower returns to schooling are the most likely explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper combines quantitative and qualitative data to estimate empirically the impact of social capital on household welfare in Bolivia. Social capital measured by memberships in agrarian syndicates and other associations is found to increase household welfare and reduce poverty. As an asset, social capital matters more for the poor than the nonpoor and has greater effect on household welfare than investment in primary education. The paper elaborates on the relation of complementarity and substitution between informal and formal institutions. The relationship between social capital and welfare is modified by the nature and presence of regional organizations that have federated upward from communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]