Public policies in Peru: a historical background

De la Fuente L.S.; Moscoso M.S. · Handbook of Public Policy in Latin America (2025) · DOI: 10.4337/9781035310197.00044

Resumen

This chapter argues that public policies are deeply influenced by the political contexts in which they are developed, challenging the notion of “aseptic” policies. It examines the historical construction of Peruvian public administration, focusing on the past 30 years and how the political context has shaped policy effectiveness. The chapter highlights how ineffective policies, which fail to improve people's lives, perpetuate cyclical “tragedies” in Latin America, leading to social disenchantment and a “democratic recession” characterized by governments elected by a minority of voters. This decline in governance foreshadows complex times for the region, as noted by Latinobarómetro (2021). The chapter questions whether governments are failing to create effective policies or if existing political and social controls are inadequate to hold them accountable. © The Editors and Contributors Severally 2025. All rights reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad Católica Sedes Sapientiae