Clientelism in Everyday Latin American Politics

This book improves understandings of how and why clientelism endures in Latin America and why state policy is often ineffective. Political scientists and sociologists, the contributors employ ethnography, targeted interviews, case studies, within-case and regional comparison, thick descriptions, and process tracing. In Latin America and beyond, societies are deeply unequal, the poor are marginalized, and states face continuous fiscal shortages and real or potential political instability. In this context, democracy functions imperfectly. It intermeshes with clientelism, with the incongruous result that clientelism not only erodes but also accompanies and supplements democratic processes. Armed with evidence of these complex interactions, this book improves understandings of how and why clientelism endures and why state policy is often ineffective. Political scientists and sociologists, the contributors employ ethnography, targeted interviews, case studies, within-case and regional comparison, thick descriptions, and process tracing. They write from political economy and institutionalist, principal- and agent-centered perspectives Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Democratic Processes, Clientelistic Relationships, and the Material Goods Problem....Pages 3-22 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 Favors, “ Merit Ribbons,” and Services....Pages 25-40 What is Politics For? Inequality, Representation, and Needs Satisfaction Under Clientelism and Democracy....Pages 41-59 Front Matter....Pages 61-61 Democratic Processes, Patronage Politics, and Contentious Collective Action in El Alto, Bolivia....Pages 63-80 Clientelism, Democracy, and Violence in Rio de Janeiro....Pages 81-98 When Clients Become Collective Actors....Pages 99-120 Clientelism and Subnational Politics in Latin America....Pages 121-136 “Fragmented Clientelism” in Montevideo....Pages 137-158 Front Matter....Pages 159-159 Clientelistic Democracy or Democratic Clientelism....Pages 161-185 State Power and Clientelism....Pages 187-211 Back Matter....Pages 213-258 "In Latin America and beyond, societies are deeply unequal, the poor are marginalized, and states face continuous fiscal shortages and real or potential political instability. In this context, democracy functions imperfectly. It intermeshes with clientelism, with the incongruous result that clientelism not only erodes, but also accompanies and supplements democratic processes. Armed with evidence of these complex interactions, this book improves understandings of how and why clientelism endures and why state policy is often ineffective. Political scientists and sociologists, the contributors employ ethnography, targeted interviews, case studies, within-case and regional comparison, thick descriptions, and process tracing. They write from political economy and institutionalist as well as principal-centered and agent-centered perspectives"-- Provided by publisher