Thesis advisor: Kathleen McInnis-Dittrich / The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of decision-making in formulating anti-poverty policies in Palestine. Particularly, this study was concerned with exploring the key decision makers, their roles, and how the power relationship among them influences the process of formulating anti-poverty policies. In addition, this study was intended to investigate the knowledge about the dynamics of decision making within the Palestinian National Authority (PNA): how actual decisions are made about anti-poverty policies and who is making decisions. Moreover, the scope of this study also included how the unique economic, social, and political contexts of Palestine influence the process of formulating anti-poverty policies. Further, this study explored how anti-poverty policies impact the lives of everyday poor Palestinians. This study utilized political theories, colonialism theory, and hegemony theory, to understand the external factors that affect the formulation of anti-poverty policies. Also, it used public policy theories, elitism, pluralism, and bounded rationality theory, to explore how anti-poverty policies are made and who made such policies in Palestine. This study employed a qualitative approach with a social constructivist paradigm of inquiry. This case study focused on two major sites that are responsible for formulating social policies in Palestine: the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) and the Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development (MOPAD) in Ramallah. The findings of this study indicated that significant changes have occurred as regards who the key decision makers are and what roles they play in the formulation of anti-poverty policies. In analyzing the power relationship among the key decision makers, the findings showed that although the PNA has increased its control over the decision-making process, the international donor agencies continue to significantly influence this process. The data also revealed that unlike the models of policy making in democratic countries (such as elitism or pluralism), the approach to developing anti-poverty policies in Palestine reflects the participatory model. Consistent with the theory of bounded rationality, the findings revealed that anti-poverty policies have been made with financial, material, political, and other limitations. Implications for formulating anti-poverty policies and for future research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

As políticas de combate à pobreza no Brasil entraram na agenda de governo na década de 30 com o presidente Getulio Vargas e desde este período parece não ter ocorrido inflexões na matriz das políticas formuladas. Neste sentido, a hipótese central é que existe continuidade na agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza no período de 1985 a 2010 nos governos de José Sarney (PMDB) ao governo Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Esta hipótese é testada a partir do uso do modelo de Equilíbrio Pontuado de Baumgartner e Jones e de Tsebelis sobre os atores com poder de veto que criam uma certa estabilidade decisória, contribuindo para a permanência da agenda de políticas. As variáveis utilizadas no estudo são o gasto público com políticas socias, a burocracia instalada e a percepção dos principais atores políticos e técnicos que participaram dos governos em estudo sobre a tese de continuidade e por fim a agenda de políticas de combate à pobreza formulada por cada governo. Ao analisar os dados é possível perceber a existência de incrementalismo no orçamento federal, a formulação da agenda por atores híbridos e uma forte percepção dos entrevistados sobre a continuidade da agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza nos governos foco do estudo. Com isso, é possível concluir que a agenda formulada pelo governo brasileiro no período de 1985 a 2010 sofreu reformas e incrementalismo sem efetuar inflexões capazes de alterar a matriz das políticas e apresentar uma nova agenda. / Anti-poverty policies in Brazil entered the government agenda in the 30s with President Getulio Vargas and from this period seems to have occurred inflections in the model of the policies formulated. In this regard, the central hypothesis is that there is continuity in the agenda of anti-poverty policies in the 1985-2010 period from government of José Sarney (PMDB) to the government Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT). This hypothesis will be tested for the use of the punctuated equilibrium model of Baumgartner and Jones and Tsebelis about the actors with veto power that create a certain operative stability, contributing to the permanence of the policy agenda. The variables used in the study are public spending on social policies, the installed bureaucracy and the perception of the main political actors and technicians who participated in a government study on the thesis of continuity and finally the agenda of poverty reduction policies formulated by each government. By analysing the data you can see the existence of incrementalism in the federal budget, the formulation of the agenda for hybrid actors and a strong perception of respondents about the continuing agenda of policies to combat poverty in governments focus of the study. Thus, we conclude that the agenda formulated by the Brazilian government in 1985-2010 period has been reformed and incrementalism without making inflections able to change the model of policies and present a new agenda.

As políticas de combate à pobreza no Brasil entraram na agenda de governo na década de 30 com o presidente Getulio Vargas e desde este período parece não ter ocorrido inflexões na matriz das políticas formuladas. Neste sentido, a hipótese central é que existe continuidade na agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza no período de 1985 a 2010 nos governos de José Sarney (PMDB) ao governo Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Esta hipótese é testada a partir do uso do modelo de Equilíbrio Pontuado de Baumgartner e Jones e de Tsebelis sobre os atores com poder de veto que criam uma certa estabilidade decisória, contribuindo para a permanência da agenda de políticas. As variáveis utilizadas no estudo são o gasto público com políticas socias, a burocracia instalada e a percepção dos principais atores políticos e técnicos que participaram dos governos em estudo sobre a tese de continuidade e por fim a agenda de políticas de combate à pobreza formulada por cada governo. Ao analisar os dados é possível perceber a existência de incrementalismo no orçamento federal, a formulação da agenda por atores híbridos e uma forte percepção dos entrevistados sobre a continuidade da agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza nos governos foco do estudo. Com isso, é possível concluir que a agenda formulada pelo governo brasileiro no período de 1985 a 2010 sofreu reformas e incrementalismo sem efetuar inflexões capazes de alterar a matriz das políticas e apresentar uma nova agenda. / Anti-poverty policies in Brazil entered the government agenda in the 30s with President Getulio Vargas and from this period seems to have occurred inflections in the model of the policies formulated. In this regard, the central hypothesis is that there is continuity in the agenda of anti-poverty policies in the 1985-2010 period from government of José Sarney (PMDB) to the government Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT). This hypothesis will be tested for the use of the punctuated equilibrium model of Baumgartner and Jones and Tsebelis about the actors with veto power that create a certain operative stability, contributing to the permanence of the policy agenda. The variables used in the study are public spending on social policies, the installed bureaucracy and the perception of the main political actors and technicians who participated in a government study on the thesis of continuity and finally the agenda of poverty reduction policies formulated by each government. By analysing the data you can see the existence of incrementalism in the federal budget, the formulation of the agenda for hybrid actors and a strong perception of respondents about the continuing agenda of policies to combat poverty in governments focus of the study. Thus, we conclude that the agenda formulated by the Brazilian government in 1985-2010 period has been reformed and incrementalism without making inflections able to change the model of policies and present a new agenda.

As políticas de combate à pobreza no Brasil entraram na agenda de governo na década de 30 com o presidente Getulio Vargas e desde este período parece não ter ocorrido inflexões na matriz das políticas formuladas. Neste sentido, a hipótese central é que existe continuidade na agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza no período de 1985 a 2010 nos governos de José Sarney (PMDB) ao governo Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Esta hipótese é testada a partir do uso do modelo de Equilíbrio Pontuado de Baumgartner e Jones e de Tsebelis sobre os atores com poder de veto que criam uma certa estabilidade decisória, contribuindo para a permanência da agenda de políticas. As variáveis utilizadas no estudo são o gasto público com políticas socias, a burocracia instalada e a percepção dos principais atores políticos e técnicos que participaram dos governos em estudo sobre a tese de continuidade e por fim a agenda de políticas de combate à pobreza formulada por cada governo. Ao analisar os dados é possível perceber a existência de incrementalismo no orçamento federal, a formulação da agenda por atores híbridos e uma forte percepção dos entrevistados sobre a continuidade da agenda das políticas de combate à pobreza nos governos foco do estudo. Com isso, é possível concluir que a agenda formulada pelo governo brasileiro no período de 1985 a 2010 sofreu reformas e incrementalismo sem efetuar inflexões capazes de alterar a matriz das políticas e apresentar uma nova agenda. / Anti-poverty policies in Brazil entered the government agenda in the 30s with President Getulio Vargas and from this period seems to have occurred inflections in the model of the policies formulated. In this regard, the central hypothesis is that there is continuity in the agenda of anti-poverty policies in the 1985-2010 period from government of José Sarney (PMDB) to the government Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT). This hypothesis will be tested for the use of the punctuated equilibrium model of Baumgartner and Jones and Tsebelis about the actors with veto power that create a certain operative stability, contributing to the permanence of the policy agenda. The variables used in the study are public spending on social policies, the installed bureaucracy and the perception of the main political actors and technicians who participated in a government study on the thesis of continuity and finally the agenda of poverty reduction policies formulated by each government. By analysing the data you can see the existence of incrementalism in the federal budget, the formulation of the agenda for hybrid actors and a strong perception of respondents about the continuing agenda of policies to combat poverty in governments focus of the study. Thus, we conclude that the agenda formulated by the Brazilian government in 1985-2010 period has been reformed and incrementalism without making inflections able to change the model of policies and present a new agenda.