Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- Expert panel findings
- Introduction
- Democracy
- 1 Democracy in the LAC region, challenges and solutions: political party and party system institutionalization and women's legislative representation
- Education
- Employment and social security
- Environment
- Fiscal problems
- Health
- Infrastructure
- Poverty
- Public administration
- Violence and crime
- Conclusion
- References
1 - Democracy in the LAC region, challenges and solutions: political party and party system institutionalization and women's legislative representation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Edited by
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- Expert panel findings
- Introduction
- Democracy
- 1 Democracy in the LAC region, challenges and solutions: political party and party system institutionalization and women's legislative representation
- Education
- Employment and social security
- Environment
- Fiscal problems
- Health
- Infrastructure
- Poverty
- Public administration
- Violence and crime
- Conclusion
- References
Summary
Introduction
The countries of the LAC region confront numerous challenges to the quality of their democracies. A 2006 survey conducted by the Research Department (RES) at the Inter-American Development Bank evaluated the challenges faced by the region in sixteen thematic areas, one of which was democracy (Berkman and Cavallo 2006). Among the sixteen thematic areas, democracy was considered by the respondents to represent one of the top ten problems faced by the region, and the survey evaluated six principal challenges to democracy, in order of importance for the survey respondents: “Little real enforcement of rules and accountability for politicians,” “Weak democratic culture,” “Crisis of representation,” “Political intimidation and violence,” “Traditional parties losing traditional constituencies,” and “No real separation of powers.”
The challenges that LAC democracies face today are very real, and quite daunting. However, when discussing them, and any potential solutions, we must be cognizant of the considerable diversity in the objective conditions of the region's democracies. The extent and nature of any specific challenge varies considerably, depending on the country in question. Therefore any solution offered to a challenge will vary in many important respects, depending on country-specific factors (Spiller and Tommasi 2007; Stein and Tommasi 2008).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Latin American Development PrioritiesCosts and Benefits, pp. 13 - 44Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010
References
and , 1990. Identity, Competition and Electoral Availability: The Stabilization of European Electorates, 1885–1985. Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
and , 2006. “The Challenges in Latin America: Identifying what Latin Americans Believe to be the Main Problems Facing their Countries.” Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, unpublished manuscript
and , 2002. “Descriptive Representation, Policy Outcomes, and Municipal Day-Care Coverage in Norway.” American Journal of Political Science 46: 428–37CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, 1997. Strong Parties and Lame Ducks: Presidential Partyarchy and Factionalism in Venezuela. Stanford, CA: Stanford University PressGoogle Scholar
, 2000. Democratic Institutional Design: The Powers and Incentives of Venezuelan Politicians and Pressure Groups. Stanford, CA: Stanford University PressGoogle Scholar
, 2008. “Freedom in the World 2007.” New York: Freedom House, www.freedomhouse.org
and , 2002. “Engendering the Right to Participate in Decision-Making: Electoral Quotas and Women's Leadership in Latin America.” In and , eds., Gender and the Politics of Rights and Democracy in Latin America. New York: PalgraveGoogle Scholar
, 1994. Plan of Action: To Correct Present Imbalances in the Participation of Men and Women in Political Life. Series Reports and Documents, 22. Geneva: Inter-Parliamentary UnionGoogle Scholar
, 2005. “The Role of Parties and Party Systems in the Policymaking Process.” Workshop on “State Reform, Public Policies, and Policymaking Processes.” Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC, February 28–March 2
, 2009. “Gender Quotas, Electoral Laws, and the Election of Women: Evidence from the Latin American Vanguard.” Comparative Political Studies 42: 56–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, , and , 2007. Governance Matters VI: Governance Indicators for 1996–2006. Washington, DC: World Bank Development Economics Research GroupGoogle Scholar
, 2000. “Linkages Between Citizens and Politicians in Democratic Polities.” Comparative Political Studies 33: 845–79CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, 2005. Politicizing Representation: Campaigns for Candidate Gender Quotas Worldwide. PhD dissertation, Columbia UniversityGoogle Scholar
, 1998. “Rethinking Party Systems Theory in the Third Wave of Democratization: The Importance of Party System Institutionalization.” Kellogg Institute Working Paper 260, University of Notre Dame
, 1999. Rethinking Party Systems in the Third Wave of Democratization: The Case of Brazil. Stanford, CA: Stanford University PressGoogle Scholar
and , 1995. “Introduction: Party Systems in Latin America.” In and , eds., Building Democratic Institutions: Party Systems in Latin America. Stanford, CA: Stanford University PressGoogle Scholar
and , 2007. “Political Sequences and the Stabilization of Interparty Competition: Electoral Volatility in Old and New Democracies.” Party Politics 13: 155–78CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, 2005. “Enhancing Women's Political Participation: Legislative Recruitment and Electoral Systems.” In and , eds., Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers, A Revised Edition. Stockholm: International IDEAGoogle Scholar
, 2006. “Electoral Quotas: Frequency and Effectiveness,” In , ed., Women, Quotas, and Politics. New York: RoutledgeGoogle Scholar
, 2007. Women's Contribution to Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean. Santiago de Chile: Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanGoogle Scholar
, 2001. “Breaking the Barriers: Positive Discrimination Policies for Women.” In and , eds., Has Liberalism Failed Women? Parity, Quotas, and Political Representation. New York: St. Martin's PressGoogle Scholar
, , and , 2007. Democracies in Development: Politics and Reform in Latin America (Expanded and Updated Edition). Washington, DC: Inter-American Development BankGoogle Scholar
, 2007. Manuel Alcántara Sáez, Director, Universidad de Salamanca, 1994–2007
, 2007. “Candidate Selection: The Choice Before the Choice.” Journal of Democracy 18(1): 157–70CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, 2005. “Is Closed List PR Really Optimal for the Election of Women?: A Cross-National Analysis.” Paper prepared for the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC
and , 1997. “Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America: Rethinking the Terms of the Debate.” In and , eds., Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America. New York: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
and , 2007. The Institutional Foundations of Public Policy in Argentina: A Transactions Cost Approach. New York: Cambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
and (with and ), 2008. Policymaking in Latin America: How Politics Shape Policies. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development BankGoogle Scholar
, 1995. Report on the Fourth World Conference on Women: Beijing, September 4–15. New York: United NationsGoogle Scholar
- 1
- Cited by