Text
E-book Governance Democracy and Development in Latin America and the Carribean
The way in which these six problems interact has far-reaching consequences for the day-to-day conduct of public affairs, the rights and freedoms of citizens and the legitimacy of the democratic system. The assessment points
to the economic vulnerability of the lower middle class, due to the fragmentation of the labor market (formalityinformality, low-high productivity) and the segmentation of social security. It also points to the fragility of the poorest
households that rely extensively on social welfare programs to meet their most basic needs. In parallel, the income of the highest percentiles continues to go up, adding to a historical concentration of wealth in these population
segments. The weak and regressive tax systems of the states play a central role in this imbalance. The economic precariousness and vulnerability have deepened a feeling of economic exclusion which, combined with citizens'
opinions on corruption becoming tougher, and the perception of a culture of privilege rooted in political elites and in people who profit excessively from the state, has translated into feelings of citizen anger. One of the faces of this
anger is the representative disaffection towards representative democratic institutions, especially political parties and parliaments. The way in which this disaffection has been responded to, both in practice and with institutional
reforms, has led to fragmented and polarized political systems and the concentration of powers in the hands of executive branches.
Tidak tersedia versi lain