ABSTRACT
From environmental problems to physical violence, local governments are the first stop for addressing many of the problems and experiences of citizens’ daily life. Local governments are also crucial arenas for broader processes, influencing, for instance, the fate of democratization, the chances to achieve fiscal equilibrium, or the success of policy making. In Latin America, local arenas are also new spaces for citizen participation, policy innovation, provision of public goods and services, and the platform for new leaders in national politics. Behind these changes are the transitions from authoritarian regimes to democracies in all Latin American countries, two decades of decentralization, and the transference of authority from central to local governments, as well as the consensus regarding the need to share fiscal responsibilities across the different levels of government to balance public accounts.
