Informal Institutions and Democracy: Lessons from Latin America

Book Details

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

• Author: Gretchen Helmke

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st Edition

• ISBN: 9780801883521

• Pages: 368

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches

• Weight: [Not Provided]

About the Book

This volume, edited by Gretchen Helmke, offers a comprehensive analysis of informal institutions in Latin America and their impact on democratic governance. Drawing on diverse case studies from across the region—including the Mexican dedazo, clientelism in Brazil, legislative "ghost coalitions" in Ecuador, and elite power-sharing in Chile—the contributors explore how informal rules influence the functioning of state and democratic institutions.

The book presents a fresh perspective on Latin American political structures by offering insights into key contemporary challenges such as governability, the "unrule of law," and the lack of effective representation, participation, and accountability. Through a fourfold conceptual framework, the editors categorize informal institutions into:

• Complementary institutions that fill gaps or enhance formal rules,

• Accommodative informal institutions that mitigate the dysfunction of formal institutions,

• Competing informal institutions that subvert formal rules, and

• Substitutive informal institutions that replace ineffective formal structures.

By examining these types of informal institutions, the contributors provide a nuanced understanding of how they shape governance and political processes in the region. This book is essential reading for scholars and practitioners interested in Latin American political systems, informal governance mechanisms, and democratic theory.