Volume 43 | Number 2 Spring 2008
Clientelism in Argentina: Piqueteros and Relief Payment Plans for the Unemployed—Misunderstanding the Role of Civil Society
Abstract
Most Latin American countries have overcome military disruptions and are now well-established democracies. Nevertheless, electoral continuity and fairness is not enough to guarantee that democratic institutions function properly and fairly. A simple inquiry reveals the region’s entrenchment of corrupt governments, the growth of inequality, and the deepening of poverty and unemployment. Argentina is no exception.
Many authors have argued that civic engagement will solve the struggles new Latin American democracies are undergoing. In particular, it has been suggested that the activities of NGOs will lead inexorably to a better democracy. And, without a doubt, civil society’s role is fundamental for improving government accountability and strengthening the rule of law.
This paper, however, analyzes certain welfare practices currently in place in Argentina as an example of civil society actors being overinvolved in public affairs. I show how their overinvolvement can neutralize the potential for accountability, particularly in analyzing the case of a civil society group known as the “piqueteros.” Specifically, improper delegation of authority over certain, widely extended unemployment welfare benefits has led to inadequate interaction between the State and this group.
NGOs have played an invaluable role as “watchdogs” of civil society. It is clear that problems (such as the one described above) involve only a few of these non-governmental organizations. But sometimes—as the example indicates—too much involvement, especially when extended to what I call management activities, can generate improper incentives and destroy the potential advantages of action by NGOs. Furthermore, the overutilization of these actors in developing countries sometimes turns them into disruptive forces against democracy, and creates mechanisms that undermine economic growth and social development.
Summary
- Introduction
- The Rise of Democracy and Welfarism in Argentina Prior to 1983
- The Reestablishment of Democracy and Welfarism Since 1983
- First Crisis: Alfonsin's Hyperinflation
- Second Crisis: De la Rúa’s Resignation
- The Rise of Poverty and Inequality: The Palliative Solution of the PJJHD
- The Clientelistic Utilization of Social Plans: The Piquetero Movement
- Introduction to the Problem
- Socioeconomic Requirements for a Functional Third Sector
- The Failure of Self-Selection in the Developing Countries: Its Failure in Argentina
- Proposals for Reform
Footnotes
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