Governance in the Americas: Decentralization, Democracy, and Subnational Government in Brazil, Mexico, and the USA (Kellogg Institute Series on Democracy and Development)

Governance in the Americas, a multidisciplinary volume, offers important new insights about decentralization, federalism, and democratic change in the three largest federal nations in the Americas: Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Originating in a major research project conducted by teams in each of the three countries, this study contributes significantly to our understanding of how representative and participatory democracy is being constructed at state and local levels in the recently emerged democracies of Brazil and Mexico, and is being recast and sustained in the United States. The contributors evaluate the performance of subnational governments, as these societies become more genuinely decentralized, and as new actors and managerial routines create and implement public policy. The authors challenge the criticism of “exceptionalism” in the United States, seeking instead to understand the points of convergence and divergence among the three countries as each seeks to improve the effectiveness and public accountability of its policy-making processes.Collaborators include Marta Ferreira Santos Farah, Lawrence S. Graham, Pedro Jacobi, and Allison M. Rowland.

Governance in the Americas, a multidisciplinary volume, offers important new insights about decentralization, federalism, and democratic change in the three largest federal nations in the Americas: Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Originating in a major research project conducted by teams in each of the three countries, this study contributes significantly to our understanding of how representative and participatory democracy is being constructed at state and local levels in the recently emerged democracies of Brazil and Mexico, and is being recast and sustained in the United States. The contributors evaluate the performance of subnational governments, as these societies become more genuinely decentralized, and as new actors and managerial routines create and implement public policy. The authors challenge the criticism of “exceptionalism” in the United States, seeking instead to understand the points of convergence and divergence among the three countries as each seeks to improve the effectiveness and public accountability of its policy-making processes.

“Throughout the world, subnational levels of government are actively absorbing new responsibilities and resources; they are simultaneously under pressure to be more responsive and democratic. But where have these changes come from? How are they affecting the governance of political systems? Will citizens be better off as subnational governments assume a greater role in making decisions and managing public policies and services? This important volume, exploring decentralization and democratization at the subnational level in Mexico, Brazil, and the United States, provides deeply informative responses to these questions. It is a well-crafted ‘must’ for students of decentralization and governance.” —Merilee S. Grindle, Director, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University

 

“This book is ambitious in scope, synthesizing political patterns in three of the hemisphere’s largest countries and most complex economies, discussing a multitude of subnational actors and institutions in each of these countries, and covering broad stretches of time in each country.” —Kent Eaton, University of California, Santa Cruz

 

“The 21st century has brought a new interest in studying the relationship between structures of government and democracy. This book, focusing on three countries in the Americas, is a thorough and important example of the substantive consequences of recent decisions related to centralization and decentralization. It should be on the bookshelves of students of federalism and intergovernmental relations around the globe.” —Beryl A. Radin, American University

Decentralization and the subnational state / Peter K. Spink, Victoria E. Rodríguez, Peter M. Ward, and Robert H. Wilson Two centuries of federalism in Brazil, Mexico, and the USA / Lawrence S. Graham and Allison M. Rowland The changing institutional capacity of subnational government: toward effective co-governance / Victoria E. Rodríguez, Peter K. Spink, and Peter M. Ward Intergovernmental relations and the subnational state: the decentralization of public policy making / Marta Ferreira Santos Farah, Pedro Jacobi, Victoria E. Rodríguez, Peter M. Ward, and Robert H. Wilson Government and citizens: the changing nature of civil society / Peter K. Spink, Victoria E. Rodríguez, Peter M. Ward, and Robert H. Wilson The past, present, and future of subnational governments and federalism / Peter K. Spink, Peter M. Ward, and Robert H. Wilson Notes Bibliography About the authors and collaborators Index. Cover Half title Series page Title page Copyright Contents Tables and Figures Acknowledgments Abbreviations 1. Decentralization and the Subnational State 2. Two Centuries of Federalism in Brazil, Mexico, and the USA 3. The Changing Institutional Capacity of Subnational Government 4. Intergovernmental Relations and the Subnational State 5. Government and Citizens 6. The Past, Present, and Future of Subnational Governments and Federalism Notes Bibliography About the Authors and Collaborators Index