by Liliana D. González-Viveros and Verónica López Guerra
Policy dismantling is a growing field in public policy analysis. Scholars approach this topic from different perspectives, such as exploring why it occurs and analysing the strategies used to achieve it. However, the effects of policy dismantling on the policy-making process, particularly in multilevel governance frameworks, remain unclear. In their recent article published in Policy & Politics, Liliana D. González-Viveros and Verónica López Guerra explore what happens when national policies are dismantled—not just in terms of services lost, but in how policy-making itself adapts in response.
Their study centres on Mexico’s federal Childcare Programme to Support Working Mothers (PEI), which was dismantled in 2019 and replaced by a significantly pared-back scheme. Through a detailed case study of local responses, the authors show that dismantling is not simply a top-down act of retrenchment—it is a catalyst for political resistance, adaptation and reconfiguration within federal systems.
Focusing on the aftermath of PEI’s dismantling, the article examines how ten local governments—almost all led by opposition parties—responded. Despite limited resources, these governments sought to compensate for the loss of federal childcare support, launching their own programmes to fill the gap. These efforts were not uniform: some recreated PEI in near-identical form, others adapted it, and a few introduced significant innovations. The article draws particular attention to the political, technical and administrative conditions that made local compensation possible.
One key finding is the role of existing networks and policy legacies. Many of the local actors involved in relaunching childcare schemes had previously worked on PEI, whether as government officials, civil society partners or childcare centre managers. This prior experience provided the technical expertise and political motivation to act. In several cases, local initiatives were also driven by electoral pressures, grassroots mobilisation, and a broader ideological commitment to shared caregiving responsibilities.
The authors employ Bauer and Knill’s framework to assess how local compensatory programmes varied in terms of density (the scope and target population) and intensity (the generosity and regulatory structure). Some programmes expanded eligibility, for example to older children or adolescent parents. Others tightened or relaxed operational requirements for childcare centres. Overall, local policies demonstrated a mix of continuity and change, shaped by local contexts and constrained by financial and bureaucratic hurdles.
Importantly, the article argues that these subnational responses are not merely managerial adaptations—they reflect shifting political dynamics and institutional contestation. By reinstating childcare services, local governments are not only addressing immediate social needs but also challenging the dominant federal narrative that justified dismantling PEI on grounds of corruption and efficiency. In this way, dismantling has reframed the debate: no longer about whether childcare should be supported, but how and by whom.
The authors caution, however, that without stronger intergovernmental coordination or institutional safeguards, these local initiatives remain fragile. Political turnover, limited budgets and regulatory complexity all pose risks to their sustainability. Yet their very existence demonstrates that dismantling can activate resistance and innovation, especially where local actors are politically motivated and organisationally capable.
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You can read the original research in Policy & Politics at
González-Viveros, L.D. and Guerra, V.L. (2025). The effects of policy dismantling on the policy-making process. Policy & Politics, available from: <https://doi.org/10.1332/03055736y2025d000000075>
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