By PublicABCP
Translated and reviewed by Matheus Lucas Hebling
The book Políticos versus Burocratas: Reformas Administrativas em Perspectiva Comparada, written by André Marenco and published by FGV Press, was released in August 2023. This work offers an in-depth analysis of public administration reforms across Latin America throughout the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century.
Marenco meticulously examines administrative reforms aimed at professionalizing public administration and strengthening merit-based systems in seven Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The author delves into the political and bureaucratic dynamics that influenced these reforms from 1900 to 2020.
One of the book’s most noteworthy contributions is its comparative approach, which investigates cases with varying levels of administrative professionalization. With a nuanced understanding of their complexities, Marenco reveals how political and bureaucratic factors have shaped reform processes over time.
This book is essential reading for those seeking to understand the past, present, and future of public administration in Latin America. It provides a comprehensive and illuminating analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing the region.
The book is structured into five chapters. The first, “The Century of Weber: Reforms in Public Administrations (1900–2020)”, lays out the historical and theoretical foundations necessary to grasp the evolution of government bureaucracies over time. In “An Analytical Model to Explain Civil Service Reforms in Latin America”, Marenco proposes a framework for understanding the region’s administrative reform processes.
In chapter four, “When Bureaucracies Precede Party Competition: Brazil and Chile”, the author focuses on cases where public bureaucracies developed before the consolidation of party systems. This is followed by “When Parties Precede Government Bureaucracies: Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela”, which explores cases where political parties emerged prior to the professionalization of the state bureaucracy. The book concludes with “When Do Reforms Happen?”, a reflective analysis of the conditions under which administrative reforms take place.
About the Author
André Marenco is a tenured professor in the Department of Political Science and the Graduate Program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). With extensive experience in public administration research, Marenco is a member of several academic institutions and has made significant contributions to the fields of comparative political institutions, political reform, bureaucracies, and public policy.
Book Details
- Title: Políticos versus Burocratas: Reformas Administrativas em Perspectiva Comparada
- Author: André Marenco
- Publisher: FGV Press
- ISBN: 9786556522418
- Pages: 212
- Publication Year: 2023
- Available at: FGV Press
