Suchergebnisse

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

Across the developing world, many governments have implemented political reforms - heavily promoted by international donors - designed to transfer greater power to subnational levels of government and to provide a more substantial policymaking and oversight role to citizens. Based on an analysis of two large national public-opinion surveys from Bolivia, a country that has recently implemented one of the most comprehensive decentralization reforms yet attempted in Latin America, the authors analyze the role decentralized local institutions are playing in shaping citizen attitudes toward their political system. (InWent/DÜI)