Seminar

Policies in Turbulent Times: Historical Evidence from Salvador Allende's Milk Program

Felipe Gonzalez (Queen Mary, University of London)

October 13, 2022, 11:00–12:30

Room Auditorium 4

Behavior, Institutions, and Development Seminar

Abstract

Governments struggle to broaden their support in times of animosity and polarization, sometimes putting democracy at risk. Can governments rely on public policies to increase their political support during these turbulent times? We evaluate the impact of a large public health policy on political support for Salvador Allende's government in Chile (1970-1973). The Allende years were characterized by political and social crises which eventually led to a coup and a seventeen-year dictatorship. The 1973 Congress Election acted as a referendum for the strength of Allende's political coalition. At the same time, the Allende government implemented an ambitious and widely praised program to deliver half-litre of milk to all infants in the country. We evaluate the impacts of this program using a difference-in-differences research design coupled with detailed historical data measuring milk distribution, the location and health of eligible beneficiaries, and political preferences in the 1973 Election. Joint with Mounu Prem.