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Attempts have been made to explain why social protection systems seem least likely to become established where they are most needed. Often, however, these attempts have not captured the rather complex politics in the countries in question. Analyses have turned the Minister of Finance into the sole representative of political will, have equated low budgetary allocations with a politically unattractive programme design and have ignored the long and erratic histories of social protection in the Western world. The appropriate roles for donors and civil societies in such political economies remain equally unclear. On the basis of other 'drivers of change' studies, this article takes a closer look at the political dynamics behind social protection in Zambia. It examines whether the observed or deduced stagnation in social protection is due to stakeholders in Zambia rejecting policy recommendations, the inappropriate nature of these recommendations or a premature assessment of progress made. © 2011 The Authors. IDS Bulletin © 2011 Institute of Development Studies.