Policy Dismantling in Latin America : Political Leadership and Bureaucratic Erosion in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico

This book examines how contemporary populist governments in Latin America dismantle public policies and erode bureaucratic capacity. Offering new theoretical and empirical insights, this volume will interest scholars of public policy, public administration, and Latin American politics.

This book examines how contemporary populist governments in Latin America dismantle public policies and erode bureaucratic capacity. Focusing on the administrations of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico, and Javier Milei in Argentina, it analyzes deliberate efforts to attack the public administration, redirect resources, and scale back programs in areas such as social protection, gender, childcare, science and innovation, and agroecology. Rather than isolated budget cuts or routine reforms, dismantling often reflects broader political projects that challenge the role of the state itself and the way the bureaucracy works. Through detailed case studies, the book shows how these shifts affect everyday governance, the delivery of public services, and the relationship between citizens and the state. Offering new theoretical and empirical insights, this volume will interest scholars of public policy, public administration, and Latin American politics.