Politics Beyond the Capital - by Kent Eaton (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A recent wave of decentralization in Latin America has increased the prominence of politicians at the subnational level. Politics Beyond the Capital is the first book to place this trend in comparative historical perspective, examining past episodes of decentralization alongside contemporary ones to determine whether consistent causal factors are at play. At the center of the book is the rigorous testing of two key hypotheses that attribute decentralization to liberalizing changes in political regime type and economic development strategy. The book focuses on the four Latin American countries where politicians have most extensively engaged in the redesign of subnational institutions: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. By reframing the "politics of decentralization" as the "politics of designing subnational institutions," the book moves beyond the policy orientation of much of the current literature, and broadens the debate by analyzing not just decentralization but re-centralization as well.

From the Back Cover

A recent wave of decentralization in Latin America has increased the prominence of politicians at the subnational level. Politics Beyond the Capital is the first book to place this trend in comparative historical perspective, examining past episodes of decentralization alongside contemporary ones to determine whether consistent causal factors are at play. At the center of the book is the rigorous testing of two key hypotheses that attribute decentralization to liberalizing changes in political regime type and economic development strategy.
The book focuses on the four Latin American countries where politicians have most extensively engaged in the redesign of subnational institutions: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. By reframing the "politics of decentralization" as the "politics of designing subnational institutions," the book moves beyond the policy orientation of much of the current literature, and broadens the debate by analyzing not just decentralization but re-centralization as well.

Review Quotes

"[Politics Beyond the Capital] promises to be essential reading not only for those interested in South American politics or decentralization, but also for those interested in democratization and neoliberal reform, more broadly." --Kathleen O'Neill, Cornell University

"This book identifies an issue of fundamental importance in comparative politics, and one that is at the center of debate among scholars of Latin America. Politics Beyond the Capital is a welcome addition to the literature and an admirable piece of scholarship." --John Carey, Dartmouth College

About the Author

Kent Eaton is Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.