This paper proposes a typological model to provide further understanding of the connection between public policies and electoral dynamics in a federal democracy in which the power to formulate and implement public policies is relatively decentralized. More generally, this typology of public policies is intended to move beyond the traditional dichotomies of political science - clientelism vs. universalism / catch-all parties vs. programmatic parties - offering a new analytical perspective, with a non-dualistic approach. The typology classifies public policies according to two dimensions: the criteria for allocation of resources (partisan or universal) and the nature of the goods and services produced (private or public). From the intersection of the two dimensions, the paper defines four types of strategies for the implementation of public policies: clientelism, distributive policy, policy targeting and universalism. It also proposes some hypotheses to explain the choices of public policy made by the state governments. The article takes into account three types of explanatory factors: horizontal political competition (between political parties), vertical competition (between the spheres of government), and the socio-economic and demographic context.
Public policies; Clientelism; Electoral competition; Federalism; State government
