Public policies, cooperativism and social inequality:

the Costa Rican case during the heyday of the welfare state

Abstract

Costa Rican cooperativism was strongly strengthened in the second half of the 20th century due to its active role to diversify the local economy. Hand by hand with a growing number of decentralized institutions, cooperatives implemented public policies in four main areas: coffee, rural electrification, savings and credit, and agriculture. The most successful experiences show that the combination of collective action and collective management is fundamental in the development of territories.

This article offers an overview of the public policies promoted by the Costa Rican State between 1949 and the mid-eighties of the last century in terms of cooperativism, in the context of cooperation and the world system