Civil Society and Electoral Accountability in Latin America (Elections, Voting, Technology)

What is the role of civic associations in generating electoral accountability and how do efforts by national groups to ensure free and fair elections advance democratic consolidation? Although it is widely recognized that democratic consolidation depends on national actors, the existing literature on election monitoring focuses almost exclusively on the work of international monitors. Domestic monitors, the actors arguably most critical to long-term democratic consolidation, are missing from this analysis. The book's main theoretical contribution is an argument for expanding our understanding of electoral accountability. Lean advances our understanding of when and how civic activism can strengthen election processes, and provides new insight into role of elections for democratic consolidation (site de l'éditeur) What is the role of civic associations in generating electoral accountability and how do efforts by national groups to ensure free and fair elections advance democratic consolidation? Although it is widely recognized that democratic consolidation depends on national actors, the existing literature on election monitoring focuses almost exclusively on the work of international monitors. Domestic monitors, the actors arguably most critical to long-term democratic consolidation, are missing from this analysis. The book's main theoretical contribution is an argument for expanding our understanding of electoral accountability. Lean advances our understanding of when and how civic activism can strengthen election processes, and provides new insight into role of elections for democratic consolidation (site de l'éditeur) "What role do civic associations play in generating free and fair elections? For over two decades, civic and social movement organizations throughout the Americas have mobilized thousands of individuals to act as civic watchdogs over the actions of state officials and political parties during elections. Although it is widely recognized that democratic consolidation depends on national actors, the existing literature on election monitoring focuses almost exclusively on the work of international observers. Lean's work fills this gap with a detailed analysis of the work of domestic election monitors. This book advances our understanding of when and how civic activism can strengthen election processes and provides new insight into the role of elections in democratic consolidation."--Publisher's website. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Civil Society and Electoral Accountability....Pages 1-21 Election Monitoring in Latin America....Pages 23-53 Civil Society and Electoral Accountability in Mexico....Pages 55-79 Civil Society and Electoral Accountability In Venezuela....Pages 81-109 Regional Networking for Electoral Accountability....Pages 111-130 Civil Society and Electoral Accountability: Lessons from Latin America....Pages 131-150 Back Matter....Pages 151-197