This book explores how public appointments influence and are shaped by political and administrative factors, affecting governance, state capacity, and democratic legitimacy across Latin America. Through comparative analyses and case studies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, it investigates the complex interplay between political interests and meritocratic principles. The volume examines how politicized appointments impact institutional performance, corruption, and societal inequality, shedding light on strategic calculations behind cabinet formation, bureaucratic recruitment, and professionalization efforts. By dissecting the tensions between politics and bureaucratic expertise, the book highlights the challenges of politicization and the possibilities of professionalization and merit-based reforms. Rich with nuanced insights, this work serves as a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to understand and enhance public sector governance, institutional reform, and democratic stability in Latin America and beyond.
Introduction: The politics of public appointments in Latin America.-
Part I: Overarching logic: Patronage, merit, and professionalization.-
1.
Public administration and public appointments as an institution: The tension
between technique and politics in Argentina.- 2. Shaping the streets: The
dynamics of political appointees in street-level bureaucracy and service
delivery.- 3. Is it possible to balance politics and expertise in a
politicized public administration?.- 4. Sub-national public appointments in
Mexico.- Part II: Bureaucratic expertise and politics.-
5. Public but not
governmental: Implications of public appointments in social participation
bodies at the local level.- 6. The Peruvian cabinet formation: Between party
weakness and extreme instability.- 7. Recruitment, careers and trajectories
of senior officials in Latin American public administration: Insights from
Argentina.- 8. Reinforcing the inner circle: The center of government in
Argentina, Chile, and Peru.- Part III: Consequences and effects.-
9. Public
appointments and governance in developing countries: A comparative analysis
in Latin America.- 10. The selling and inheritance of public office in the
Mexican public sector.- 11. Senior public management system and its
contribution to the professionalization of the bureaucratic elite in
Chile.- 12. The appointments in the executive branch of Ecuador: An analysis
from the actors.- 13. Conclusion: A research agenda for public appointments
in Latin America and beyond.
Fernando Nieto-Morales is Professor of Public Administration at the Center for International Studies, El Colegio de México, Mexico.
David Gómez-Álvarez is Research Professor at the Institute for Research on Accountability and Corruption Control, University of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Calep Pimienta is Doctoral Candidate at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany.
