INVESTIGADORES
FELIZ Mariano
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
The macroeconomic limits of incomes 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
Lugar:
Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica)
Reunión:
Workshop; Workshop Strategies Against Poverty: Designs from the North and Alternatives from the South; 2009
Institución organizadora:
CLACSO-CROP/OSSREA/SEPHIS
Resumen:
This article will analyze Argentinas
incomes policies in the recent years. In particular, we will analyze
the role of social and wages policies during the years 2001-2008.
We will show that the effectiveness of
these policies regarding the reduction of poverty is strongly
conditioned by macroeconomic policy objectives and by Argentinas
mode of capitalist participation in the worlds economy.
We will show, from a Marxist
theoretical framework, that the peripheric position of Argentinas
economy and the correlative policy of high real exchange rate and
public sectors fiscal surplus, limit the governments ability to
allow for a clearly pro-poor incomes policy. The need for
competitiveness and foreign debt payments puts immediate
pressure on wages and incomes for the working people. Our main
theoretical references in this regard will be the work of Ruy Mauro
Marini and our own work on the subject.
Within this framework, we will show
that Argentina faces two main alternatives.
On the one hand, accepting long-term
relative poverty while it attempts to structurally improve its
competitive stand on a low-wages, low-labor rights, low-productivity
development path. This implies accepting not only the current
distributive structure but also systemic and general social unrest.
The alternative is to transform its
social security system in a generalized income redistributive program
of the Basic Income type. Such a system may not only put an end to
long-term income poverty but may also reduce social conflict to allow
for sufficient levels of investment and socio-technical innovation.
We will work with data from the
Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Social Security (ANSES) and the
Institute of National Statistics (INDEC). We will also use official
reports on the objectives and evolution of the aforementioned
policies.