Evaluating Participatory Decentralization Reforms in the Andes

• In Event: Decentralization in the Andes: Twenty Years of Experience

Abstract

One defining feature of decentralization reforms in several Andean countries is their participatory nature. National reformers mandate participatory institutions in subnational governments in an effort to strengthen democracy and improve governance. Are reformers meeting these goals? This paper presents data gathered during the author’s fieldwork in Peru and Bolivia. The paper explores why reformers chose to couple these two processes—decentralization and mandated participation—and how they are affecting indicators of democracy and governance over time. The paper documents mixed results in both cases and explores the factors that explain variation.

Author

• Stephanie L McNulty, Franklin and Marshall College