Citizens in Latin America and the Caribbean often associate corruption with economic crises. Since 2016, survey data show that individuals who believe their country’s economy has worsened are significantly more likely to say that most politicians are corrupt. But are politicians actually more corrupt when the economy is bad, or are citizens just more sensitive to misconduct … [Read more...] about When the Economy Booms, So Do Corruption and Impunity
Politics and Institutions
The Governance Dimension of Persistent Inequality in Latin America
Despite decades of democratic governance and policy reforms, economic inequality in Latin America remains a stubborn reality. Concentrated income and wealth among the richest 10% of the population has left the poorest 10% with less than 2% of total income. The disparities have endured for the last 30 years, even in relatively stable democracies like Chile, Colombia, and … [Read more...] about The Governance Dimension of Persistent Inequality in Latin America
Trust: An Obstacle and an Opportunity for Digital Transformation
It is well understood that digital transformation can build trust between citizens and the state. It improves service delivery, transparency, and the efficiency of public expenditure—all of which contributes to greater citizen trust in government. But trust is also critical to allowing the process of digital transformation to occur in the first place, and Latin America, the … [Read more...] about Trust: An Obstacle and an Opportunity for Digital Transformation
Why Don’t Voters Demand More Public Investment?
For decades economists have warned that low levels of public investment in education, health, infrastructure, and security would weaken a country’s economic growth and delay its social development. Unfortunately, that describes many Latin American and Caribbean countries. From 1980 to 2016, public investment in the region grew by almost 10 percentage points slower than in … [Read more...] about Why Don’t Voters Demand More Public Investment?
Employing Information to Boost Citizen Trust and Welfare
For democracy to function and economies prosper, people need to believe that their fellow citizens are trustworthy: that they are well intentioned, will honor commitments and will not take advantage of them. When people have little to no information about others, it is difficult to believe that. The fact that Latin America and the Caribbean has the lowest rates of trust in … [Read more...] about Employing Information to Boost Citizen Trust and Welfare