INVESTIGADORES
FELIZ Mariano
capítulos de libros
Título:
The macroeconomic limits of income’s policy in a dependent country. The need and possibilities for radical reforms in social policies in Argentina after the crisis, 2001-2008
Autor/es:
FÉLIZ, MARIANO
Libro:
Strategies Against Poverty designs from the North and alternatives from the South
Editorial:
CLACSO
Referencias:
Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2011; p. 301 - 324
Resumen:
This article analyzes incomes policies in Argentina. In particular, we study the role of social and wages policies during the years 2001-2008. In this regard we’ll comment on the effectiveness of policies towards the reduction of poverty and show how they are strongly conditioned by macroeconomic policy objectives and by Argentina’s mode of capitalist participation in the world’s economy.Our argument will be that the peripherical position of Argentina’s economy and the correlative policy of undervalued real exchange rate and public sector’s fiscal surplus, limit the government’s ability to allow for a clearly pro-poor income’s policy (including social and wages policies). The need for “competitiveness” and foreign debt payments puts immediate pressure on wages, incomes and labour conditions for the working people.From this framework we propose that Argentina’s government faces two radically different alternatives. On the one hand, accepting long-term poverty while it attempts to structurally improve its competitive stand on a low wages, low labour rights, low productivity development path. This implies accepting not only the current distributive structure but also systemic and general social unrest linked to the unjust distribution of income and the correlative pervasiveness of income poverty.As an alternative, the government could transform its social security system in a generalized income distributive program of the Basic Income type. Such a system may not only put an end to long-term income poverty, also increasing economic democracy and political participation, but may also reduce social conflict to allow for sufficient levels of investment and socio-technical innovation.First we present an analysis of social and wages policies in Argentina since the crisis of 2001. Then we discuss how the international insertion of Argentina’s economy limits the ability these policies to reach their objectives. Afterwards we present an alternative to today’s social and wages policies: the basic income. We discuss its main characteristics in relationship with Argentina’s current situation. Finally we present some conclusions and the bibliographical references.