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A discussion of the gains/failures of the democratization process in Guatemala focuses on decentralization, local government, & citizen participation. The policies of three presidencies are evaluated in terms of their impact on the decentralization process & the quality of service delivery. Problems not yet addressed are said to include the scarcity of citizen representation in the municipios & villages, weak representation at the departmental level, & a complete lack of citizen participation at the regional & national levels. The need to develop support systems for the municipal system is discussed, noting there is no framework for training personnel or providing long-term technical or financial assistance. Special attention is given to the link between governability & an effective model of the budget criteria for transfer payments. It is concluded that steps must be taken to extend decentralization to the regional & local levels, & future policies should focus on responding to the needs of the population & making the delivery of services more effective. 1 Table, 34 References. J. Lindroth

A discussion of the gains/failures of the democratization process in Guatemala focuses on decentralization, local government, & citizen participation. The policies of three presidencies are evaluated in terms of their impact on the decentralization process & the quality of service delivery. Problems not yet addressed are said to include the scarcity of citizen representation in the municipios & villages, weak representation at the departmental level, & a complete lack of citizen participation at the regional & national levels. The need to develop support systems for the municipal system is discussed, noting there is no framework for training personnel or providing long-term technical or financial assistance. Special attention is given to the link between governability & an effective model of the budget criteria for transfer payments. It is concluded that steps must be taken to extend decentralization to the regional & local levels, & future policies should focus on responding to the needs of the population & making the delivery of services more effective. 1 Table, 34 References. J. Lindroth

The major decentralization experience in Venezuela in 1989 is shadowed by President Calderas'& Chavez' centralist penchants that have undone many of the early decentralization reforms. The three vital characteristics of decentralization are examined in the case of Venezuela to argue that a conjunction of factors led to an unresponsive & inefficient allocation of public sector resources. Examination of government revenue & spending as a proportion of the total gross domestic product in 1997 indicates Venezuela was more centralized than the rest of Latin America. The minimal progress in decentralization has been countered by the politically mobilized sectors of society, & the significant number of legal & institutional changes in political, administrative, entry-level government, & fiscal changes. The incremental reform & modernization of Punto Fijo democracy is compared to decentralization in Chavez's Fifth Republic's decentralization of political & economic control resulting from an economic downturn. Explanations for the persistent popularity of decentralization reflect strengthened orientations supportive of democracy among Venezuelans. Numerous countries in Latin America are treading this path with considerable difficulty & resistance from old interest groups, but are countered by decentralization's long-term strategy to create the conditions for a new, fairer, more democratic & more efficient balance of power. Tables, References. J. Harwell

The authors discuss the relationship between decentralization and conflict, focusing on the local level. They address the dangers that accompany decentralization, particularly the potential for new ethnic conflicts, or the revival of old ones. Before exploring the situation in Mali, the authors present an overview of scholarship on decentralization and the effects of colonial regimes on the African state. Their discussion of Mali includes a detailed description of Mali and an analysis of the Malian government preparation for and implementation of decentralization.

Describes a number of general features based on the previous contributions on federalism & constitutionalism in a range of countries. These selections underscore the diversity of federal constitutionalism & the versatility of federalism as it has been modified to suit the specific situations of the 12 countries considered. Each constitution is an expression of its nation's history, culture, & politics as well as of its populace. No single paradigm, or paragon, of a federal constitution exists, but instead, a broad spectrum of modes are available. The appropriateness of any mode is bound up in the goals of the constitution founders & the particular conditions they contend with when assembling a federal system of sovereignty & democracy. K. Coddon

Examines the disconnection between rhetoric & reality in the US devolution debate. The first section focuses on definitional & interpretive questions arising from the term "devolution." The next section considers three types of explanations for the gap between US devolution rhetoric & reality: (1) the failure to convert a broad if nebulous support for devolution into accord on particular devolutions; (2) the impossibility of neatly spreading functional responsibilities among the federal, state, & local authorities; & (3) the argument that selective devolution is embraced chiefly by the ideological extremes of both major parties, although for vastly different reasons. The third section describes the politics of the US devolution debate, & the final section compares & contrasts the US debate to that in the EU. 28 References. K. Coddon

Describes the origins, development, & functions of the Mexican Constitution. The Constitution, established in 1917, founded a federal system based on the tenet that significant powers should dwell in a strongly secular social-welfare regime with authority to act in such policy areas as foreign & domestic trade, agriculture, food, health services, education, & energy. This system enabled government centralization & a strikingly nationalized economy. This trend of Mexican federalism toward centralization has been challenged only since the early 1980s by calls for policies promoting government decentralization, democratization, & economic liberalization. K. Coddon

Considers several broad themes that usually come into play in specific policy discussions, followed by a general outline of the historical cycles of centralization & decentralization in the US & EU. Next, comments are offered for each polity on the stage of this cycle at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The topics of particular focus are geography-based diversity, the benefits & drawbacks that accompany government scale, the function of autonomous governments as testing-grounds for innovation, & the entwining of choice & consequence to reduce the effects of external policy factors. 2 Tables, 4 Figures. K. Coddon