Estado y capital social en América Latina: ¿En qué medida las características y comportamientos del estado explican los niveles de capital social en la región?

Abstract

By focusing on the importance of social capital to development, this paper examines the role of the State and Public Policy in the creation of social capital. After a brief summary about social capital definitions, weakness and usefulness, its relevance to development and its problematic creation, the paper pays specific attention to the role of the State as a promoter of social capital. Second we bear out the empiric links between State performance and social capital in Latin America. Then, we use state’s efficacy indicators, variables traditionally associated with welfare stat (especially public spending and inequality) and interpersonal trust. We finish by pointing the previous findings and shedding light in order to continue the research about social capital reproduction.