Book Chapter
Provision of Social Services in Chile

Over the past decade, Chile has developed a sound economy and experienced social development, which are manifested through the decline in poverty rates, an increased employment level, and a greater efficiency in income distribution. Social policies in Chile are discussed here in three major sections: the first looks at the period when there is heightened government intervention; the second turns towards the era when neoliberals insisted upon a shift towards minimal state regulation and reliance on target mechanisms; and finally it examines the regime when the combined efforts of the state and the civil societies were acknowledged. After identifying major components of the phases in social policies, the chapter examines particular reforms on the health sector privatisation, primary and secondary education, and public and private relationships employed during the neoliberal and present time frames.