Local Governance Reform in Global Perspective

Abstract

Latin America has a population of 547m (2008) and is the most urbanised of the developing areas of the world, with around 80% of its citizens living in cities (ECLA 2008).1 The region is marked by the most extreme variation in living standards in the world. The average income is $5,540 (World Bank 2008) but some 40% of the population live below the poverty line. As a result, Latin American societies are characterised by low levels of inclusiveness and weak citizenship. Despite the common heritage of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism, there is a surprisingly high degree of diversity with regard to administrative structures within the 19 nations, 350 states and regions and over 16,000 municipalities of the region. The four largest countries of the region (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela) are federal nations while the rest are unitary nations. There is a long and enduring tradition of political and administrative centralisation in the region that spans both federal and unitary nations and which was reinforced by a period of authoritarian rule during the 1970s and 1980s. This legacy is epitomised by a presidential system with strong executive powers over sub-national tiers of government.