The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance

Is there a connection between the democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in office and the stability of local governance? In order to answer this question this research develops a neo-institutional analysis and presents a qualitative methodological strategy that comparatively addresses t...

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Main Authors: Luis Carlos Erazo, Lorena Chamorro
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2019-09-01
Series:Íconos
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/3821
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author Luis Carlos Erazo
Lorena Chamorro
author_facet Luis Carlos Erazo
Lorena Chamorro
author_sort Luis Carlos Erazo
collection DOAJ
description Is there a connection between the democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in office and the stability of local governance? In order to answer this question this research develops a neo-institutional analysis and presents a qualitative methodological strategy that comparatively addresses two countries, Ecuador and Colombia. The institutional design that adopts revocations of terms for mayors is analyzed through the reviewal of constitutional documents and regulations in each country. This analysis is complemented by descriptive statistics that allow for the evolution of this device, as an alternative to exerting democratic control, not electoral of the mixed institutional type, to be observed. As a hypothesis, this article proposes that as the institutional design becomes less restrictive to activate the revocation of a term for mayors, the probability that the democratic control will undermine the stability of the local government will increase. Inversely, an institutional design that is more restrictive will reduce these probabilities. The empirical evidence shows that the launching of the Ecuadorian institutional design since the constitutional reforms of 2008 caused a series of revocations of terms for mayors that is unprecedented in the democratic history of the country. Meanwhile, in Colombia, despite the age of this device, the same situation has not taken place. The analysis concludes that the institutional design of the revocation of terms for mayors has become a double-edged sword for the stability of local governments.
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spelling doaj-art-4c3ee894322f4eea823d16835206a8c82025-02-02T11:09:21ZspaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede EcuadorÍconos1390-12492224-69832019-09-0123657191https://doi.org/10.17141/iconos.65.2019.3821The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governanceLuis Carlos ErazoLorena ChamorroIs there a connection between the democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in office and the stability of local governance? In order to answer this question this research develops a neo-institutional analysis and presents a qualitative methodological strategy that comparatively addresses two countries, Ecuador and Colombia. The institutional design that adopts revocations of terms for mayors is analyzed through the reviewal of constitutional documents and regulations in each country. This analysis is complemented by descriptive statistics that allow for the evolution of this device, as an alternative to exerting democratic control, not electoral of the mixed institutional type, to be observed. As a hypothesis, this article proposes that as the institutional design becomes less restrictive to activate the revocation of a term for mayors, the probability that the democratic control will undermine the stability of the local government will increase. Inversely, an institutional design that is more restrictive will reduce these probabilities. The empirical evidence shows that the launching of the Ecuadorian institutional design since the constitutional reforms of 2008 caused a series of revocations of terms for mayors that is unprecedented in the democratic history of the country. Meanwhile, in Colombia, despite the age of this device, the same situation has not taken place. The analysis concludes that the institutional design of the revocation of terms for mayors has become a double-edged sword for the stability of local governments.https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/3821Colombia and Ecuadordemocratic controlsdemocratizationinstitutional designlocal governancerevocation of terms of mayors
spellingShingle Luis Carlos Erazo
Lorena Chamorro
The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
Íconos
Colombia and Ecuador
democratic controls
democratization
institutional design
local governance
revocation of terms of mayors
title The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
title_full The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
title_fullStr The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
title_full_unstemmed The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
title_short The democratization of the revocation of mayors’ terms in Ecuador and Colombia: At the crossroads of local governance
title_sort democratization of the revocation of mayors terms in ecuador and colombia at the crossroads of local governance
topic Colombia and Ecuador
democratic controls
democratization
institutional design
local governance
revocation of terms of mayors
url https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/3821
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