The significance of political leaders for social policy expansion in Brazil, China, India and South Africa

Manor, J. and Duckett, J. (2017) The significance of political leaders for social policy expansion in Brazil, China, India and South Africa. Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, 55(3), pp. 303-327. (doi: 10.1080/14662043.2017.1327926)

Abstract

This paper examines the roles that political leaders have played in the formulation and implementation of government initiatives to tackle poverty and inequality in Brazil, China, India and South Africa since about 2002. While research on social policy and welfare expansion in the industrialised world has largely ignored leaders, we stress the importance of politics and political agency, since political leaders often exercised decisive influence even if their decisions to prioritise certain issues and to adopt certain strategies depend on the convergence of other factors. We examine their management of tensions and opposition within their governments and their political systems – as well as what we can discern of their motivations and political calculations. We consider the impact on government initiatives both of their adroit machinations and, at times, of their ineptitude.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Duckett, Professor Jane
• Authors: Manor, J., and Duckett, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Commonwealth and Comparative Politics
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1466-2043
• ISSN (Online): 1743-9094
• Published Online: 16 June 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Commonwealth and Comparative Politics 55(3):303-327
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
58912	1	Expanding, Not Shrinking, Social Programmes: The Politics of New Policies to Tackle Poverty and Inequality in Brazil, India, China and South Africa	Jane Duckett	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/J012629/1	SPS - POLITICS