Bolsa Família Cash Transfer Programs in South Africa and Brazil
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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CHILD SUPPORT GRANT AND BOLSA FAMÍLIA CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND BRAZIL Francesca G. Reece TC 660H Plan II Honors Program The University of Texas at Austin May 2019 _________________________________ Wendy A. Hunter, PhD Department of Government Supervising Professor _________________________________ Raúl Madrid, PhD Department of Government Second Reader Abstract Author: Francesca G. Reece Title: A Comparative Study of the Child Support Grant and Bolsa Família Cash Transfer Programs in South Africa and Brazil Supervising Professor: Wendy A. Hunter, PhD This thesis examines the Bolsa Família and Child Support Grant cash transfer programs in Brazil and South Africa along two aspects: children’s educational attainment and health outputs. Drawing on available statistical information and impact studies by other scholars, metrics for the aspects above are analyzed to determine where and why adjustments to either program design or state capacity are needed to accomplish each program’s respective goals. The primary conclusion for Brazil’s Bolsa Família program is that—despite widespread and replicable successes within each aspect—numerous adjustments to program design are needed to standardize opportunities for success, particularly for participants in rural regions. For South Africa’s Child Support Grant program, a major overhaul of state capacity is long overdue. Supply-side issues in program administration fundamentally disrupt the program and inhibit its goals attainment. Overall, Brazil’s program provides a reliable and feasible model for South Africa and other countries to draw on when modifying the program design of their own cash transfer programs. However, without adequate state capacity for carrying out such changes, South Africa’s program will continue to fall far short of the expectations set by Brazil’s, revealing that the state capacity context into which cash transfer programs are introduced matters more for success or failure than mere program design. There are simply no easy fixes to the development issues cash transfer programs are designed to address. 1 Acknowledgements I would like to first thank Dr. Wendy Hunter for all her sage wisdom and cups of tea. Thanks are also due to Dr. Raúl Madrid for cultivating my interest in these programs and remaining patient and encouraging through draft after draft of various papers. This project could not have been completed without either of you. I am also grateful to my other professors in the Plan II Honors and Government departments who have steadfastly worked to improve my writing and develop my ability to think critically over four amazing years. The faculty of these departments are truly remarkable for both their own work and their commitment to helping students. UT is lucky to have them. Lastly, thank you to my friends, family, and advisors for knowing when to tell me to lighten up or take a break. Y’all kept this fun! 2 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4 Research Design............................................................................................................................5 Central Arguments .......................................................................................................................8 The Programs: History, Structure, and Rationale ...................................................................... 10 Section I: Children’s Educational Progression ..................................................................... 18 I.1: Literature Review: CSG and Children’s Education.............................................................. 18 School Enrollment and Attendance Levels .................................................................................................... 19 Grade Promotion and Repetition .................................................................................................................... 24 Dropout Rates ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Additional Findings of Note ............................................................................................................................. 30 Limitations and Future Issues ......................................................................................................................... 31 Conclusions and Suggestions ........................................................................................................................... 34 I.2: Literature Review: the Bolsa and Children’s Education ....................................................... 36 School Enrollment and Attendance Levels .................................................................................................... 37 Grade Promotion and Repetition .................................................................................................................... 38 Dropout Rates ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Additional Findings of Note ............................................................................................................................. 42 Limitations and Future Issues ......................................................................................................................... 46 Conclusions and Suggestions ........................................................................................................................... 49 Section II: Health Promotion and Outputs ........................................................................... 52 II.1: Literature Review: CSG and Participant Health................................................................. 53 Data on Vaccination Rates ............................................................................................................................... 53 Data on Primary Care Checkups for Women and Children ........................................................................ 55 Data on Nutritional Levels ............................................................................................................................... 57 Additional Findings of Note ............................................................................................................................. 58 Limitations and Future Issues ......................................................................................................................... 60 Conclusions and Suggestions ........................................................................................................................... 61 II.2: Literature Review: the Bolsa and Participant Health .......................................................... 63 Data on Vaccination Rates ............................................................................................................................... 64 Data on Primary Care Checkups for Women and Children ........................................................................ 65 Data on Nutrition Levels .................................................................................................................................. 67 Additional Findings of Note ............................................................................................................................. 70 Limitations and Future Issues ......................................................................................................................... 72 Conclusions and Suggestions ........................................................................................................................... 75 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 76 References........................................................................................................................... 79 Author Biography ................................................................................................................ 86 3 Introduction The Child Support Grant (from here, the CSG) and the Bolsa Família (from here, the Bolsa) are cash transfer programs in South Africa and Brazil, respectively. Cash transfers are a popular method employed by national governments to attempt immediate poverty alleviation and improve health and education outcomes for vulnerable populations over time. Many of these programs are conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs). They operate by guaranteeing the poorest population in the country a basic minimum income in exchange for fulfillment of certain human development benchmarks, usually involving children’s health and educational attainment. While the immediate goal is poverty reduction, the end goal of cash transfer and CCT programs is to produce economic development by reaching a population that has never before met the human capital requirements needed for employment in the formal sector of the economy and uplifting them to become educated, healthy, and productive. This thesis