Social Policies in Uruguay: a Decade of Changes in the Social Policies

Abstract

The aim is to rethink a decade of public social policies and the social changes generated through a qualitative study focused mainly on the exploitation of secondary data and bibliographic and documentary research. We consider initially the 2002 crisis; the gap between classes appears to be less extensive than during the crisis, but deeper and entrenched over time. That social crack forced the country to rethink and reposition its public policies; especially through the creation of new ministries (Ministry of Social Development), new forms of municipal government (mayors and councilors) and specifically, new social programs and policies that served to stop and reduce the growing poverty, especially extreme poverty (emergency plan, plan of equity, PANES program, food card, citizen income, etc.). Anyway, the discontent of large sections of the middle classes is evident; the high cost of living and tax burdens and problems of citizen security erode governance.