Capital City Politics in Latin America: Democratization and EmpowermentDavid J. Myers, Henry A. Dietz As Latin America's new democratic regimes have decentralized, the region's capital cities - and their elected mayors - have gained increasing importance. Capital City Politics in Latin America tells the story of these cities: how they are changing operationally, how the the empowerment of mayors and other municipal institutions is exacerbating political tensions between local executives and regional and national entities, and how the cities' growing significance affects traditional political patterns throughout society. The authors weave a tapestry that illustrates the impact of local, national, and transnational power relations on the strategies available to Latin America's capital city mayors as they seek to transform their greater influence into desired actions. |
Contents
Progress Within a Hostile Environment | 29 |
The Evolution of Local Governance | 65 |
Incomplete Empowerment Amid | 95 |
Mayors and the Struggle | 133 |
The Dynamics of Local Executive Power | 163 |
Centralized Authority vs the Struggle for Autonomy | 193 |
The LocalNational Dynamics | 227 |
Political System | 265 |
Tensions Between Clientelism | 297 |
Conclusions | 325 |
367 | |
The Contributors | 389 |
About the Book 408 | |
Common terms and phrases
administration American capital cities Antanas Mockus Antonio Ledezma appointed areas Argentina authoritarian authority autonomy became Bogotá Brazil Buenos Aires built environment candidate capital city mayors capital city politics Caracas Cárdenas Castro central government changes Chile citizens city's coalition comunas constitution councilors Cuba Cuban Cundinamarca decentralization democratic dominant downtown economic elected mayors electoral elites ernment Fujimori funds Greater São Paulo Guatemala City Havana important increased influence infrastructure investment Latin American capital leaders legislation Libertador Lima Lima's López major ment metropolitan Mexico City military municipal council municipal government national executive national government national political neighborhood organizations percent Peru policymaking political parties popular population president presidential problems projects provinces Punto Fijo reform regime reverse wave Santiago São Paulo city second wave sector social themes third wave democracies tion urban policy Uruchurtu Venezuela vote wave of democracy