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Much of the literature on democratic transitions has focused on the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, but few studies have examined how democracies that re-emerged compare to those that existed in the past. Examining the Chilean case, this study explores the degree to which the "new" democracy has recovered its former strength, posing a similar question for other Latin American countries. It considers the conceptualization of quality of democracy that underpins this controversy and explores the methodological challenges of intertemporal comparison, which may be relevant for other cases that have experienced periods of authoritarian rule and process of re-democratization. We find that, overall, democracy in the contemporary period is more robust. Yet, to an important extent, indices' different understandings of the concept of the quality of democracy are relevant in terms of the degree to which they emphasize procedural aspects versus democratic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do institutional changes lead to changes in the policy formulation process (PFP)? The paper analyses the health sector PFP of the old Chilean democracy (in place until 1973), until mid 1950s, and contrasts its finding with that of the democratic regime in place since 1990. Deep institutional reforms occurred in between, during the 17-year dictatorship of General Pinochet. The article concludes that both PFP behave similarly, raising the question of why is that and what might explain it. Information comes from official documents, press clippings, diverse literature and interviews. The article combines policy analysis with documental historical and hermeneutical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asking how public policies were made in the old Chilean democracy, this article analyzes the public administration reform of the 1920s and the creation of Chile's National Health Service in 1952. Collected evidence shows that the policy-making process may be characterized as elitist, technocratic, and where the president's motivation toward a particular issue plays a key role for the issue to be included in the government agenda and go further in the process. This is very similar to how the policy process of the new Chilean democracy has been characterized. Considering that under Pinochet's dictatorship deep reforms were introduced in political institutions and that following the new institutionalism framework, rule behaviors, and interchange of policy actors, the article finishes asking what other factors may be acting on a political institution or the policy process directly to explain the similarity between this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the ability of policy failure frameworks to characterize and explain the reform of Santiago's public transport system. It focuses on the following questions: When a policy may be deemed a failure, what sources led to the failure, and what lesson may be drawn from the case? It suggests that these three questions must be addressed simultaneously to integrally understand a policy failure. The case proposes areas of further investigation to elaborate a conceptual framework for a better understanding of why a particular policy may fail. Information comes from 53 interviews, official documents, academic bibliography, and the media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of an ecological approach, this article analyzes the crime determinants in neighborhoods of Santiago, Chile. It concludes that the concentration of social disadvantages, disorder and physical deterioration, together with the presence of an oppositional subculture, is associated with a greater occurrence of crimes, and that the development of trust among the neighbors operates as a mechanism for the prevention of criminal activities. The article also identifies the implications that the relationship between crime and the characteristics of the neighborhood would have for the design of public policies aimed at preventing and controlling crime at that level. A representative survey was carried out that collected data from 5861 households belonging to neighborhoods of Greater Santiago. Data have also been collected through direct observation of the characteristics of these neighborhoods. The analyses were carried out at the micro-neighborhood (a small territorial space) and neighborhood unit (intermediate territory between the micro-neighborhood and the commune) level, and econometric estimations of count data type were applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper analyses whether the fear of indebtedness resulting from going on to post-secondary education affects potential students' decisions to apply for, and enter into, Higher Education; whether there is any relationship between the fear of indebtedness and the socio-economic level of the families of potential students; and whether there is an association between the fear of indebtedness and student performance. This study shows that the fear of indebtedness for post-secondary studies is not a limiting factor for young people from lower-income sectors to go on to tertiary education. The study also shows that availability of loans facilitates access to Higher Education. These findings contradict the conclusions of studies by Claire Callender and Jonathan Jackson, who previously analysed the British case with the same aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses whether the fear of indebtedness resulting from going on to post-secondary education affects potential students' decisions to apply for, and enter into, Higher Education; whether there is any relationship between the fear of indebtedness and the socio-economic level of the families of potential students; and whether there is an association between the fear of indebtedness and student performance. This study shows that the fear of indebtedness for post-secondary studies is not a limiting factor for young people from lower-income sectors to go on to tertiary education. The study also shows that availability of loans facilitates access to Higher Education. These findings contradict the conclusions of studies by Claire Callender and Jonathan Jackson, who previously analysed the British case with the same aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on theoretical debate and empirical evidence, both raised in the context of State Reform and Modernization of Public Management processes, this paper proposes a model of synthesis and analysis that allows characterizing such processes. Using a case study methodology, this research demonstrates the usefulness of such a model to the Chilean case, during the 1990-2006 period. There is evidence of particular features of these processes of reform and modernization in the Chilean experience. Said conclusion is based on data collected through the application and analysis of 37 interviews to key actors involved in those processes as well as the collection and analysis of official documents. This article identifies, describes and explains the variables that define the Policy of Modernization of Public Management in the Chilean experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the question on What makes a public agency effective? This article identifies public agencies seen as effective by different indicators as well as types of people. Later, it identifies the variables explaining effectiveness in those cases, which would be: leadership and vision, reorientation of the mission, orientation to the beneficiary, intensive use of ITCs, and strategic management. Given that public agencies may improve and/or worsen, the identification of those public agencies effective and ineffective should be a regular exercise. That may contribute to establish process of continuous improvement in public management, the most important government tool to implement policies seeking to improve citizen's well being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an empirical characterization of poverty in Chile during the period 1987-2006. This characterization refers to both personal characteristics and access to main social services. Such characterization will help scholars and policymakers to understand the strengths of the Chilean poverty reduction process as well as the main challenges it faces from now to the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates that the economic cost of crime in Chile, using the accountancy method, is $1.35 billion as at 2002; that is, this cost is equivalent to 2.06% of Chile's GDP. Crimes included in the estimation are murder, robbery, larceny-theft, burglary, wounding, rape and sexual assaults, domestic violence and economic felonies such as fraud, forgery and so on. Consequential costs are the most important, representing 68% of the total cost of crime. Government spending represents 23% of the total and anticipatory cost account for the remaining 9%. Chile presents higher level of crime than most developed countries - though less than most developing nations - but government's spending on citizen's security is considerably lower than that of the US and several other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the relationship between growth, education, health status, and poverty in Chile. A comparative analysis with four countries is also undertaken. It is argued that long government involvement in social services has been a key factor in enabling many sectors of the population to increase their human capital, making it possible for them to take advantage of the opportunities given by growth to escape poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]