Abstract

We analyze potential relationships between sports, neighborhoods, and public policies in Chile. These fall within a broad framework and links between the State and civil society in which the neighborhood and sports club relationships, despite their great presence and social contributions, are often absent. Until the 1973 coup d'etat, civil society was strong around the country, and many of its institutions, such as sports clubs, enjoyed good institutional health and autonomy. The institutional collapse of 1973 fractured the link between civil society and sport institutions, but they improved over time. Neoliberal policies also affected the world of sports. The subsidiary state assists in the development of these institutions through competitive projects.