Radical Democracy in the Andes (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521734172)

After a decade in local office, are indigenous peoples' governments in the Andes fulfilling their promise to provide a more participatory, accountable, and deliberative form of democracy? Using current debates in democratic theory as a framework, Donna Lee Van Cott examines 10 examples of institutional innovation by indigenous-party-controlled municipalities in Bolivia and Ecuador. In contrast to studies emphasizing the role of individuals and civil society, the findings underscore the contributions of leadership and political parties to promoting participation and deliberation -- even at the local level. Democratic quality is more likely to improve where local actors initiate and design institutions. Van Cott concludes that indigenous parties' innovations have improved democratic quality in some respects, but that authoritarian tendencies endemic to Andean cultures and political organizations have limited their positive impact.

Author: Donna Lee Van Cott
ISBN-10: 0521734177
ISBN-13: 9780521734172
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/08/2008
Pages: 278
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 10/24/2008 pg. 22
Choice 07/01/2009