A comparative analysis of public sector restructuring in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean

We examine public sector restructuring in North America: and selected Commonwealth Caribbean nations. Although all the countries studied experienced significant restructuring in response to public debt pressures, there were major differences across countries in the magnitude, pace, form, and the manner in which restructuring decisions were made. These differences reflect the state of economic development and institutional characteristics, e.g., the role of the state and the industrial relations system. In developing countries, international lending institutions played a major role in transforming the role of the state. In developed countries, the inherent stability of the economic systems and institutional pressures led to a gradualist approach to restructuring.