Federalism and democracy in Latin America / edited by Edward L. Gibson.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gibson, Edward L.

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Federal government--Latin America.

Federal government.

Latin America.

Democracy--Latin America.

Democracy.

Latin America--Politics and government--1980-.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 377 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, [2004]

Summary:

We live in an increasingly federalized world. This fact has generated interest in how federal institutions shape politics, policy making, and the quality of life of those living in federal systems. In Federalism and Democracy in Latin America, Edward L. Gibson brings together a distinguished group of scholars to examine the Latin American experience with federalism and to advance our theoretical understanding of politics in federal systems. By means of theoretical essays and case studies, the authors address questions of how and when federal institutions matter for politics, policy making, and democratic practice. They also offer conceptual approaches for studying federal systems, their origins, and their internal dynamics. The case studies presented analyze the four existing federal systems in Latin America -- Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela -- and their experiences in dealing with a variety of issues, including federal system formation, democratization, electoral representation, and economic reform.

Contents:

Federalism and democracy: theoretical connections and cautionary insights / Edward L. Gibson

Toward a new comparative politics of federalism, multinationalism, and democracy / Alfred Stepan

Strong federalism, constraints on the central government, and economic reform in Brazil / David J. Samuels and Scott Mainwaring

Legislative malapportionment in Latin America: historical and comparative perspectives / Richard Snyder and David J. Samuels

Reallocative federalism: territorial overrepresentation and public spending in the Western hemisphere / Edward L. Gibson, Ernesto Calvo, and Tulia Falleti

Federalism and institutional change in Venezuela / Michael Penfold-Becerra

Unity by the stick: regional conflict and the origins of federalism in Argentina / Edward L. Gibson and Tulia Falleti

Multiple arenas of struggle: federalism and Mexico's transition to democracy / Enrique Ochoa Reza

Do federal institutions matter? rules and political practices in regional resource allocation in Mexico / Alberto Diaz-Cayeros.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

0801874238

0801874246

OCLC:

51900419