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" Building Democracy: "
Trelles Yarza, Luis Alejandro
Kivuva, Joshua
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1110184
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2478010129
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| Main Entry
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Kivuva, Joshua
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Trelles Yarza, Luis Alejandro
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| Title & Author
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Building Democracy:\ Trelles Yarza, Luis AlejandroKivuva, Joshua
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| College
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University of Pittsburgh
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| Date
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2019
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| student score
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2019
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Page No
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498
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| Abstract
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This work studies the autonomy in electoral management bodies (EMBs) in Latin America and Africa. Specifically, my research aims to answer the two following two questions: a) When are de jure independent electoral institutions able to aid in building democracy? And b) Under what circumstances are de jure autonomous EMBs able to develop and maintain de facto independence? Using a mixed methods approach, I examine the effect of EMBs’ de facto independence on the quality of elections and the mechanisms that allow de jure autonomous EMBs to become de facto independent in third-wave countries. Based on fieldwork in Mexico, Venezuela, Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt, I find that formal independence is insufficient to guarantee de facto autonomy. My investigation confirms that EMBs de facto independence is positively associated to the credibility of elections. I conclude that internal consultative mechanisms (ICMs) embedded within EMBs offer an alternative path –to institutional insulation– for these institutions to build a positive reputation over time. My research contributes to the literature on electoral governance by showing that electoral bureaucracies that effectively channel external political pressures through internal consultative mechanisms are more likely to positively impact the quality of elections. Contrary to previous studies focusing solely on formal rules promoting EMBs institutional insulation, I contend that EMBs in third-wave countries are more likely to achieve higher levels of de facto autonomy by adopting mechanisms that allow the main stakeholders –political actors– to participate in key stages of electoral management. This theoretical refinement shows that ICMs are key for administrative procedures within EMBs to become more transparent, accessible, and accountable to political actors competing for power.
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African studies
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Latin American studies
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Management
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Political science
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Public administration
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Public policy
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