Latin America and Policy Diffusion: From Import to Export

Latin American countries have for a long time been importers of public policies and institutions from the Global North. The colonial legacy and resulting patterns of international relations during the 20th century favoured a course of adoption and hybridization of political institutions. In recent decades, a new conjuncture has emerged in which Latin American policies have started to diffuse South-South and even South-North.

Led by Brazil with Participatory Budgeting and the Bolsa Familia program, other countries in the region soon followed. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and bicycle policies in Curitiba and Bogotá have also reached wide international recognition and circulation. And yet, despite Latin America’s new role as a policy "exporter", little is known about its dynamics, causes, and effects. Why have Latin American policies been diffused inside and outside the region? Which actors are involved? What driving forces affect these processes? This innovative collection offers a new perspective on the policy diffusion phenomena. Drawing on different examples from Latin American experiences in urban local policies and national social policies, experts present a new framework to study this phenomenon centered on the mobilization of ideas, interests and discourses for policy diffusion.

Latin America and Policy Diffusion will be of great interest to researchers, educators, advanced students and practitioners working in the fields of political science, public policy, international relations and Latin American Studies.

Osmany Porto de Oliveira is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). He Coordinates the Laboratory of International Public Policies (LABOPPI) at Unifesp. His areas of research and teaching includes the following topics: international relations, public policy, policy diffusion, development cooperation, international organizations and participatory democracy.

Cecilia Osorio Gonnet is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policies at the Politics and Government Department, at the Alberto Hurtado University, Chile. Her research and teaching expertise are in public policy, social policies, dissemination of public policies, citizen participation and knowledge, ideas and public policies.

Sergio Montero is Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Development at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. His research interests are in the politics and governance of urban and regional planning; the local and global dynamics behind the circulation, learning and adoption of urban policy models; and local and regional economic development strategies, with an emphasis in Latin American cities and regions.

Cristiane Kerches da Silva Leite is Professor in Public Policy Management at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of the University of São Paulo. Her research and teaching expertise are in public policy analysis; cognitive analysis in public policy; diffusion of public policies; social policies; neoliberalism and public policies; media, conservatism and public policies; social development analysis (sociological approaches).