Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America

This paper discusses the nature and political impact of two anti-poverty programs, Bolsa Familia in Brazil and Oportunidades in Mexico. These programs are two examples of a new brand of anti-poverty programs, known as conditional cash transfer schemes (CCTs). Under CCTs, a government gives cash to poor households in exchange for the beneficiaries fulfilling certain conditions, such as ensuring that their children maintain a given level of school attendance, bringing their children to health clinics for regular visits, etc. CCTs aim to alleviate poverty in the short-term, through the redistribution of wealth by cash transfers, and in the long-term, by building up human capital among the poor through improved education, health, and nutrition.