Latin America's Think Tanks: The Roots of Nonprofit Privatization

In: Studies in comparative international development, Volume 30, Issue 2, p. 3-25

Abstract

Conventional development models refer to two sectors, public & for-profit private. Massive growth of nonprofit private activity undermines that picture. Latin American think tanks exemplify a nonprofit privatization that has an enormous impact on development & remolds intersectoral relationships overall. Four major dynamics acount for the spectacular growth of the region's nonprofit think tanks. Three push factors are state repression, state weakness, & public university problems, &, as epitomized by financial supply, a pull factor is also crucial to attract nonprofit growth. To conceptualize these findings, public failure theory is considered. Unhelpful regarding the pull factor, the theory otherwise works reasonably well, especially where there is visible movement from the public to the nonprofit sector. Beyond that, the evidence suggests ways to broaden the theory. Even a broadened formulation cannot fully capture the remarkable diversity & vitality of the growth in Latin America's think tanks. But the key growth factors that blend together to produce particular institutional & national configurations can be identified & analyzed. 53 References. Adapted from the source document.