Decentralization and Subnational Politics in Latin America

by Tulia G. Falleti

• ISBN13: 9780521736350
• ISBN10: 0521736358
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-04-12
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Is it always true that decentralization reforms put more power in the hands of governors and mayors? In postdevelopmental Latin America, the surprising answer to this question is no. In fact, a variety of outcomes are possible, depending largely on who initiates the reforms, how they are initiated, and in what order they are introduced. Tulia G. Falleti draws on extensive fieldwork, in-depth interviews, archival records, and quantitative data to explain the trajectories of decentralization processes and their markedly different outcomes in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. In her analysis, she develops a sequential theory and method that are successful in explaining this counterintuitive result. Her research contributes to the literature on path dependence and institutional evolution and will be of interest to scholars of decentralization, federalism, subnational politics, intergovernmental relations, and Latin American politics.

Author Biography

Tulia G. Falleti is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	p. xi
List of Figures	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
List of Abbreviations	p. xxi
Decentralization and the Revival of Subnational Politics	p. 1
Advocates and Critics of Decentralization and Their Shared Assumption	p. 4
Postdevelopmental Decentralization in Latin America	p. 6
Rethinking the Causes and Consequences of Decentralization	p. 11
On the Causes of Decentralization	p. 11
On the Consequences of Decentralization	p. 14
A Sequential Theory of Decentralization: The Main Argument in Brief	p. 15
Methodological Considerations	p. 20
The Comparative Sequential Method	p. 20
Context and Periodization: The Decentralization Policies Studied	p. 24
Selection of Country Cases	p. 27
Book Overview	p. 29
A Sequential Theory of Decentralization and the Intergovernmental Balance of Power	p. 31
Types of Decentralization and Recipients	p. 33
Bargaining Actors: Partisan and Territorial Interests	p. 40
Territorial Preferences of National Executives, Governors, and Mayors	p. 44
Decentralizing Coalitions and Territorial Interests	p. 47
Sequences of Decentralization: Layers, Policy-Effect Mechanisms, and the Main Argument Developed	p. 53
The Domain of the Sequential Theory of Decentralization	p. 59
The Intergovernmental Balance of Power	p. 60
A Conceptual Definition	p. 60
An Operational Definition	p. 61
The Evolution of the Intergovernmental Balance of Power in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico	p. 64
Conclusion	p. 74
Argentina: The National Dominance Path to Decentralization	p. 76
Origins, Sequence, and Coalitions of Postdevelopmental Decentralization in Argentina	p. 78
The First Layer: Administrative Decentralization	p. 81
Decentralization of Primary Education	p. 81
Institutional Evolution of the Primary Education System	p. 85
Policy Effects of Unfunded Administrative Decentralization	p. 88
Decentralization of Secondary Education	p. 89
Subnational Territorial Interests in a Ruling Coalition	p. 91
Incrementalism in the Expansion of Responsibilities without Revenues	p. 95
Institutional Evolution of the Secondary Education System	p. 98
The Second Layer: Fiscal Decentralization	p. 101
Reproduction of National Executive Power: Timing and Contents of Fiscal Decentralization	p. 102
Reproduction of National Executive Power: Recentralization of Revenues	p. 105
The Third Layer: Political Decentralization	p. 109
A Failed Attempt at Political Decentralization	p. 111
The Origins of the 1994 Constitutional Reform	p. 112
The Constitutional Convention: Territorial versus Partisan Interests	p. 114
Conclusion	p. 119
Colombia: The Subnational Dominance Path to Decentralization in a Unitary Country	p. 122
Origins, Sequence, and Coalitions of Postdevelopmental Decentralization in Colombia	p. 124
The First Layer: Political Decentralization	p. 128
The Popular Election of Mayors: Competing Explanations of Its Causes	p. 128
The Decentralizing Coalition: The Importance of the Civic Strikes	p. 130
Policy Ratchet Effect: The Creation of a Mayor's Association	p. 133
Incrementalism: The Popular Election of Governors	p. 135
The Second Layer: Fiscal Decentralization	p. 139
The Third Layer: Administrative Decentralization	p. 143
Conclusion	p. 146
Brazil: The Subnational Dominance Path to Decentralization in a Federal Country	p. 150
Origins, Sequence, and Coalitions of Postdevelopmental Decentralization in Brazil	p. 151
The First Layer: Political Decentralization	p. 157
Return to Popular Election of Governors: Causes, Coalition, and Effects	p. 157
The Second Layer: Fiscal Decentralization	p. 164
Increasing the Subnational Share of Revenues	p. 164
The Constitutional Reform of 1988: Deepening Political and Fiscal Decentralization	p. 169
The Third Layer: Administrative Decentralization	p. 171
The Timing of Health and Educational Reforms	p. 171
Decentralization of Health Care	p. 175
A Subnational Coalition for Administrative Decentralization	p. 177
The Implementation of the SUS and the Decentralization of Health Care	p. 180
Conclusion	p. 185
Mexico: The Subnational Response Path to Decentralization	p. 188
Origins, Sequence, and Coalitions of Postdevelopmental Decentralization in Mexico	p. 190
Ongoing Reforms in the First Layer: Administrative Deconcentration and Decentralization	p. 193
Decentralization of Education	p. 194
Antecedents and Motivations of the National Executive	p. 195
Deconcentration in the Context of the Developmental State	p. 197
Early Decentralization Reforms and Setbacks	p. 199
Decentralization of Education Takes Hold	p. 201
Why Funded Administrative Decentralization? Comparing the Decentralization of Education in Mexico and Argentina	p. 205
The Second Layer: Political Decentralization	p. 211
Strengthening Municipal Governments	p. 212
Political Reforms in Mexico City	p. 217
From Government to Society: Policy Ratchet Effects of Political Decentralization	p. 218
The Third Layer: Fiscal Decentralization	p. 220
Prior Evolution of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations	p. 221
Fiscal Decentralization Reforms of 1995 and 1997	p. 222
Reinforcing Effects of the First Cycle of Postdevelopmental Decentralization on Intergovernmental Relations	p. 228
Conclusion	p. 229
Conclusion: Decentralization, Temporal Analysis, and Territorial Politics	p. 231
Sequences of Decentralization, Policy Effects, and Their Impact on the Intergovernmental Balance of Power	p. 232
Territorial Interests and the Origins of Decentralization Processes	p. 239
Decentralization, Subnational Politics, and Institutional Change	p. 244
Looking Back and Ahead	p. 245
Bibliography	p. 249
Appendix: List of In-Depth Interviews	p. 271
Index	p. 279
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.