Doctoral Dissertation Research: Determinants of Welfare State Spending

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

Investigators

Abstract

SES#: 1003012 PI: Jill S. Quadagno Co-PI: Kaiser Russell Shekha Florida State University This project explores welfare state spending in Latin American countries. There are two research questions. First, how do Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs), and ratification of human rights treaties affect social security and welfare, health, and education spending in 18 Latin American countries from 1980-2000? Second, what are the effects of religious political parties? The study builds on traditional welfare state theories, while also integrating new approaches such as World Society theory and human rights research. It is anticipated that Catholic and Protestant political parties will be positively associated with welfare state spending. It is also expected that while INGOs and human rights treaties will be positively associated with social spending, IGOs will be negatively associated with welfare state spending. This study highlights the importance of political globalization and increasingly global human rights norms in determining the outcomes of domestic social spending. Additionally, research on Latin American social spending and policy will be useful in classrooms, allowing students to compare the linkages of social spending and local and international politics between regions like Latin America, the United States, and Western Europe.