Informal Institutions and Democracy: Lessons from Latin America

by Gretchen Helmke (Editor), Steven Levitsky (Editor)

This volume analyzes the function of informal institutions in Latin America and how they support or weaken democratic governance. Drawing from a wide range of examples―including the Mexican dedazo , clientelism in Brazil, legislative "ghost coalitions" in Ecuador, and elite power-sharing in Chile―the contributors examine how informal rules shape the performance of state and democratic institutions, offering fresh and timely insights into contemporary problems of governability, "unrule of law," and the absence of effective representation, participation, and accountability in Latin America. The editors present this analysis within a fourfold conceptual framework: complementary institutions, which fill gaps in formal rules or enhance their efficacy; accommodative informal institutions, which blunt the effects of dysfunctional formal institutions; competing informal institutions, which directly subvert the formal rules; and substitutive informal institutions, which replace ineffective formal institutions.

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2006

Reviews

[Katarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Used this book for an essay I wrote on "Clientelism and patronage in the political behavior of party elites and citizens". Some of the case studies were interesting to read, especially Argentinian and Honduras examples. However, work of the authors is useful for model thinking on substitute informal institutions and comparisons between how are they being created in different political and social environments. Not too much of a read, if you seek anything more than references and data.