Bolivia decentralised in an effort to deepen democracy, improve public services, and make government more accountable. Unlike many countries, Bolivia succeeded. Over the past generation, public investment shifted dramatically toward primary services and resource distribution became far more equitable, partly due to the creation of new local governments. Many municipalities responded to decentralisation with transparent, accountable government, yet others suffered ineptitude, corruption, or both. Why? Jean-Paul Faguet combines broad econometric data with deep qualitative evidence to investigate the social underpinnings of governance. He shows how the interaction of civic groups and business interests determines the quality of local decision making.

In order to understand decentralisation, Faguet argues, we must understand governance from the ground up. Drawing on his findings, he offers an evaluation of the potential benefits of decentralisation and recommendations for structuring successful reform.

About the Author
Jean-Paul Faguet is Reader in the Political Economy of Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK and Chair of the Decentralization Task Force of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia University, USA.


Book Information
ISBN 9780472035441
Author Jean-Paul Faguet
Format Paperback
Page Count 374
Imprint The University of Michigan Press
Publisher The University of Michigan Press
Weight(grams) 563g