Conclusion

Abstract

Why have Chile and Argentina arrived at such different outcomes in their efforts to build a more solid fiscal foundation by consolidating tax policy reforms? This concluding chapter aims to draw conclusions from the thirteen-year period (1989–2001) under examination in both countries. A key lesson that emerges is that consolidating a better tax system (of higher extractive capacity, greater efficiency, and enhanced acceptance) depends not on the technical merits of the proposed reforms, but on the broader institutional context in which they are undertaken. This broader institutional environment has resolutely shaped Chilean success and Argentine failure in the pursuit of fiscal state-building. Even more than differences in forma. institutional configuration, what shapes outcomes most are marked disparities in institutional strength (conceived as stability and enforcement) and distinctions in informal institutions.