How Democracy Works

In the past thirty years, democratic freedom and competitive electoral processes have taken hold as never before in Latin America. This book zeroes in on the intricate workings of democratic institutions (such as political party systems and the legislature), the actors that participate in democratic systems (such as governors, judges, bureaucrats, and other members of civil society), and the arenas in which political and policy interactions take place (which may be formal, such as the legislature, or informal). The focus is on how those institutions, actors, and arenas affect the policymaking processes of Latin American countries for better or worse. In its scope and complexity, the volume moves well beyond stylized views of the political systems in Latin America.

Carlos Scartascini is Senior Economist in the Research Department, Inter-American Development Bank.

Ernesto Stein is Lead Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Mariano Tommasi is Chairman of the Department of Economics, Universidad de San Andrés, Argentina.