Order of Operations: A Practical Road Map for Government Policy to Increase the Well Being of Citizens in South America

Abstract

The purpose of public policy is to improve the welfare of citizens. How, exactly, to do that is less obvious. Development and freedom are near-universal ideals, but which government policies can developed countries achieve them? This paper seeks to provide an incremental strategy for governments to improve the wellbeing of their citizens by examining the various paths taken by the countries of South America. This paper will propose that countries should first initiate the pro-growth policies of economic liberalization until a certain level of development is achieved and only then should these countries begin to fully democratize. These democracies will be more stable and will continue the process of liberalization. The countries of South America show both the effectiveness of this pattern and the ineffectiveness of the reverse pattern. This recommendation will be supported by reviewing the theoretical literature, analyzing comparative indicators, and examining detailed case studies.