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The Political Returns of Democratic Governance
Guatemala case the emphasis is on increased government accountability
and accessibility. And in the Yautepec, Mexico example, the initiative
suggests a link between improved citizen knowledge of government
roles and the latter’s effectiveness in fulfilling those roles.
The case studies highlight the role of communications in all forms,
including social media. This is not entirely new but does have a
special edge to it to be singled out. This entails the role of information
communication technologies (ICT). IRI’s survey of ICT initiatives
points to an environment with a pervasive penetration of these
technologies.
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Access to mobile telephones has spread quickly, with
citizens in urban and rural areas reporting having one or more cellular
phones per household and internet penetration growing steadily. In
fact, IRI’s public opinion surveys highlight significant household access
to broadcast media, television and radio alike, and registered citizen
use of these for obtaining news, entertainment and other information.
An important conclusion is that ICTs have a significant impact and
serve as tools for improved governance. Experience appears to suggest
that ICTs can better serve citizens by improving institutional capacity
and efficiency, and by engaging citizens more effectively in dialogue,
decision-making and communication at large. But technology remains
a tool and cannot substitute for content, let alone people. There are
therefore significant caveats, including: What works in one place may
not work in another; the Internet only goes so far; and technology does
not replace hard work.
Eight Lessons
What lessons can we draw from these vignettes and the broader context
of democratic governance in Latin America?
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First, the IRI case studies
suggest that the path toward good, democratic governance is an arduous
one. The corollary is that effective democratic governance takes time
to mature. The mix since the 1980s of more openly competitive
political environments and varying levels of free market economies
has generated uneven results. Yet, a critical virtue is that the more
democratic character of this environment ultimately sustains progress.
