Foreword
Following the panoramic view of the state of democratic governance
in Latin America today, the book examines the role that private and
public institutions play in the intricate governance equation. Bettina
Horst, Atlas Fellow for Latin American Programs and former Deputy
Director at
Libertad y Desarrollo
(LyD), illustrates the important role
that think tanks play in the policy development process and their
ability to influence decision-makers through data and information,
noting the recent proliferation of think tanks in Latin America. Finally,
reflecting upon her many years working with LyD, Horst shares LyD’s
experiences with and contributions to the policy process in Chile.
Pedro Afonso del Pino, Director of Training and Development at
the Christian Democratic Institute for Training and Development
(IFEDEC), explores the values and indivisible traits of meaningful
citizen participation. He reflects upon the ability of citizen participation
to bring government and citizens together to work collectively and
responsively, and its capacity to deepen democracy. Del Pino goes on
to examine samples of participatory activities from Latin America and
contrasts effective participatory models designed to influence policy
makers and the policy process with participatory exercises that distort
the democratic elements of participation in many countries in the
region.
Exploring the roles and responsibilities of media within the governance
equation, Luis H. Nájera Castillo, an independent investigative
journalist from Mexico, begins by highlighting examples of effective
media oversight of government through investigative journalism. He
identifies and examines many of the constraints to free and reliable
media in contemporary Latin America, noting recommendations for
how these challenges might be overcome in the future. Specifically,
Nájera pinpoints best practices that have thus far enabled media to
fully participate in the governance process and regain citizen trust in
the power and importance of media.
Culminating in potential policy options for governments seeking to
ensure the longevity and institutionalization of democratic governance
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