A country that tamed an elusive challenge -- Two distinct phases of market incorporation -- The social policy regime: creation, expansion and resilience -- The state as the central actor: elites, ideas and legacies -- Conclusion: what can we learn from the Costa Rican case?

Korpi and Palme's (1998) classic "The Paradox of Redistribution and Strategies of Equality" claims that universal social policy better reduces poverty than social policies targeted at the poor. This article revisits Korpi and Palme’s classic, and in the process, explores and informs a set of...