The state and the private sector in Latin America: The shift to partnership

Abstract

Font's succinct review of ten Latin American countries tells a fascinating account of the rise of public-private collaboration in a world region embattled until recently by advocates of statism and market reforms. This volume shows innovative responses to dilemmas posed by growing demands and fiscal constraints. These emergent strategies are part of learning processes embedded in reform initiatives. The review of ten states identifies conditions shaping the adoption and fate of public-private collaboration in the provision of large infrastructural undertakings. Detailed discussions explore links to the liberalization drives of the last part of the twentieth-century while viewing this phenomenon as a distinctive strategy responding to changing global realities. While most studies of public-private partnership (PPP) focus on narrow technical aspects, this volumes thus provides a broad institutional, political and economic framework in which to make sense of dynamics. The proliferation of public-private collaboration is shown to be a result of the region's long struggle for state forms able to promote development. External forces help shape success or failure.