International development literature has extensively documented how poor governance in Latin America inhibits economic growth and improved distribution. To help remedy these problems and promote accountability, some NGOs and academics have urged creation of official institutions for citizen participation. A wealth of high-quality comparative research has sought to isolate the conditions under which these types of institutions function best.

In contrast, this paper seeks to answer how well these institutions are functioning for promoting accountability and what lessons should be drawn from these experiences. Three municipalities in Peru are evaluated through surveys, in-depth interviews, budget analyses, and personal observations. The study finds that, in Peru, these institutions have not improved accountability. Given such a finding, it recommends that additional research examine participatory reforms in the greater institutional context to determine which institutions and approaches should receive scarce resources in order to best strengthen democracy.


Cuaderno de Investigación
Bittersweet Lessons and Promising Vistas, Citizen Participation’s Place in Improving the Quality of Democracy in Peru
Instituto del Perú, Agosto de 2009
Alexander Dadok

44 páginas

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Lugar de venta: Instituto del Perú (Av. Javier Prado Oeste 580, San Isidro - T: 221-8722)

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