Essays on the Public Policy of Mobility.

Abstract

This Ph.D. thesis explores the relationship between public policy and individual mobility across space and time, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. The three chapters aim not only to assess the effects of public policies on citizens but also to uncover the mechanisms driving these effects. Although the primary context is Brazil, the insights offered are universal. The thesis begins with an examination of historical policies, specifically the Brazilian Nationalization Campaign of the 1930s and 1940s, which sought to assimilate immigrants. It investigates how these policies influenced the human capital development of immigrants and their descendants throughout the twentieth century. The second chapter shifts to contemporary issues, analyzing the impact of poverty alleviation programs, particularly the Conditional Cash Transfer program Bolsa Família, on the social mobility of low-income households in Brazil. It tracks labor market outcomes for children who were beneficiaries in 2005 and examines their continued reliance on social programs in adulthood (2015-2019). The final chapter looks to the future, addressing the challenges posed by climate change to vulnerable populations. It investigates how social benefits, particularly the Bolsa Família program, contribute to the resilience strategies of vulnerable agricultural producers in Brazil between 2015 and 2020