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Although the literature on decentralization and electoral participation is abundant, work on the connection between the two is sparse. This article hypothesizes that, as municipalities become more responsible for local governance, voter turnout will increase. Three sets of ordinary least squares regression models are estimated. The first uses traditional predictors of turnout in the form of demographic and socioeconomic variables. The second uses governance and political variables tied directly to decentralization, which have not been extensively tested in the literature. The final model combines both sets of variables. The two principal findings are that decentralization‐related variables are significantly linked to higher local turnout and that the factors accounting for electoral participation at the local level differ from those at the national level in important ways.

This article examines the consequences of the decentralization process that is under way in Costa Rica and which may undermine, rather than bolster, democracy in that country. I first outline three key contextual variables relating to the reform process: existing sociopolitical realities (constructing local legitimacy), the dynamics of the reform process (bottom‐up versus top‐down), and the timing or sequencing of the proposed reforms (what is being decentralized and when). Though I focus here on Costa Rica, these three variables are generally applicable in any case of decentralization. After considering these contextual factors, I evaluate the likelihood of four negative side effects arising from the ongoing decentralization process: party‐system fragmentation, reinforced or mutated clientelism, intermunicipal conflict and polarization, and local government instability. Early evidence suggests that some of these effects, particularly party‐system fragmentation and municipal instability, have begun to manifest themselves.

The role of the political center in centrifugal party systems has long been viewed as problematic by researchers, who have argued that it actually feeds the disintegration process. This view seems at odds, though, with the perspective of US foreign-policy-makers, who have frequently seen the center as a vehicle for leading democratic transitions. Evidence from the case of El Salvador suggests that these two views may not be as contradictory as they first appear. The evolution of the Salvadoran party system from 1982 to the present points to a shifting role for the center, wherein it first facilitated a limited transition toward democracy, but later may have obstructed a consolidation or deepening of democracy.

Includes case studies of Venezuela, Guatemala, and El Salvador; some focus on coalition-building.

Despite the enormous attention devoted to the topic of democratization, relatively little work has focused on the impact of external pressures on the process of liberalization in authoritarian systems. Borrowing the concepts of asymmetrical interdependence and interest hierarchies from the international relations literature, this article develops a model designed to predict outcomes in reform pressure situations. The model utilizes factors such as strategic threat levels, target-regime type, and military aid dependence to predict how much reform pressure the United States will exert, how far the target regime will go to accommodate this pressure, and what level of reform likely will result from the interaction. An examination of three central American cases provides general support for the model, with some modification. More generally, it suggests that an exogenously oriented model might usefully supplement the endogenously-oriented models which currently dominate this area of inquiry.

Hazard Mitigation in Emergency Management introduces readers to mitigation, one of the four foundational phases of emergency management, and to the hazard mitigation planning process. Authors Islam and Ryan review the hazard mitigation framework in both private sector and governmental agencies, covering the regulatory and legal frameworks for mitigation, as well as risk assessment processes and strategies, and tools and techniques that can prevent, or lessen, the impact of disasters. The book specifically addresses hazards posed by human activity, including cyber threats and nuclear accidents, as well as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. Readers will learn about the framework for the mitigation process, hazard identification, risk assessment, and the tools and techniques available for mitigation. Coverage includes both GIS and HAZUS, with tutorials on these technologies, as well as case studies of best practices in the United States and around the world. The text is ideal for students, instructors, and practitioners interested in reducing, or eliminating, the effects of disasters