Bulletin n. 2/2009
October 2009
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Abal Medina Juan Manuel
    Intergovernmental Cooperation in Argentina: Better State and Better Democracy
    in Reforma y democracia (Venezuela) , n. 44 ,  2009
    During the 1990’s in Argentina, after the process of State reform, decentralization and privatization, provincial and municipal governments became fundamental actors of the country’s democratic life, taking an active role in solving citizen’s demands that until then remained in the national sphere. To a certain extent, this was a worldwide phenomenon. Due to globalization, the nation-State had to redefine the way and the scope of its intervention, so the “devolution” of faculties towards lower levels of government was seen by some analysts as an appropriate mechanism to apply a new way of managing public affairs. Local governments do have the ability to establish a tighter bond with the citizens, giving them an important role in the process of deliberation, definition and monitoring of public policies. Therefore, it is no surprise that in the last few years subnational levels of government have experienced with different tools of participative democracy. Nonetheless, in Argentina, the process of decentralization towards subnational government did not intend to change the political representation, but -basically- to “reduce” the national government. There was no democractic theory behind the reforms of the 1990’s. Thus, neither provinces nor municipalities were equipped with the necessary tools to undertake the responsibilities that the national government abandoned so abruptly. A critical revision of that experience helps to better understand the way intergovernmental relations have evolved. This paper advocates for a different mode of interaction between the national, provincial and municipal governments. The challenge is to develop mechanisms of cooperation and coordination among the different levels, so that each one can develop its full potential. The role of the Federal Councils as a response to the process of decentralization, and particularly the role of the Federal Council of Civil Service, are analysed in detail. The main conclusion is that intergovernmental cooperation allows to improve public management quality and also democracy at all levels of government, building institutions that are open and transparent for social control and citizen participation
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