Wealth, Health, and Democracy in East Asia and Latin America
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 5/13/2010
EAN 9780521139342, ISBN10: 0521139341
Paperback, 426 pages, 23.4 x 15.6 x 2.7 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
Why do some societies fare well, and others poorly, at reducing the risk of early death? Wealth, Health, and Democracy in East Asia and Latin America finds that the public provision of basic health care and other inexpensive social services has reduced mortality rapidly even in tough economic circumstances, and that political democracy has contributed to the provision and utilization of such social services, in a wider range of ways than is sometimes recognized. These conclusions are based on case studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as on cross-national comparisons involving these cases and others.
1. Incomes, capabilities, and mortality decline
2. Democracy, spending, services, and survival
3. Costa Rica
a healthy democracy
4. Chile
the pinochet paradox
5. Argentina
big welfare state, slow infant mortality decline
6. Brazil
from laggard to leader in basic health service provision
7. Taiwan
from poor but healthy to wealthy and healthy
8. South Korea
small welfare state, fast infant mortality decline
9. Thailand
democratization speeds infant mortality decline
10. Indonesia
authoritarianism slows infant mortality decline
11. Wealth, health, democracy, and mortality.