This paper examines the effects of the social policy reforms on the institutions of the system of social protection during Cardoso's government. In order to do this, it focuses on three groups of programs: the universal, health and education; those of labor protection and unemployment benefits; and the programs to eradicate poverty. State or market? Employment and income or social policy? Universalism or focus? Such disjunctives are considered inadequate to describe the project and the implemented measures. The reinforcement of universal and free public programs, of health and education, cohabited with the introduction of market signals in the work-field and with the instruction to focus on the universal so as to improve the distribution impact of the policies. This did not alter the basic directives of the social protection system. However, the emphasis on programs of monetary transference to impoverished families, that took place during the second term in office, was a detour from the original government project and a change in the traditional protection scheme.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Social policy; Universalism; Focus; Social network