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Does Commercialization Undermine the Benefits of Decentralization for Local Services Provision? Evidence from Mexico’s Urban Water and Sanitation Sector

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  • Herrera, Veronica

Abstract

Decentralization has been promoted as a means to better reflect citizen preferences and improve local services. Many developing countries decentralized and promoted neoliberal policies such as commercialization simultaneously, leaving mayors with the responsibility of improving public services through self-financing reforms. This study evaluates experiences in three Mexican cities to assess whether decentralization and commercialization practices have resulted in improved water and sanitation services. It finds that commercialization has increased social conflict surrounding urban services provision and that local institutional constraints further undermine mayor’s ability to adopt politically contentious policies. The result has been stalled and uneven service improvements.

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  • Herrera, Veronica, 2014. "Does Commercialization Undermine the Benefits of Decentralization for Local Services Provision? Evidence from Mexico’s Urban Water and Sanitation Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 16-31.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:56:y:2014:i:c:p:16-31
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.10.008
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    3. Jacob Assa & Cecilia Calderon, 2020. "Privatization and Pandemic: A Cross-Country Analysis of COVID-19 Rates and Health-Care Financing Structures," Working Papers 2008, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    4. Herrera, Veronica, 2019. "Reconciling global aspirations and local realities: Challenges facing the Sustainable Development Goals for water and sanitation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 106-117.
    5. Austin, Kelly F. & DeScisciolo, Cristina & Samuelsen, Lene, 2016. "The Failures of Privatization: A Comparative Investigation of Tuberculosis Rates and the Structure of Healthcare in Less-Developed Nations, 1995–2010," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 450-460.
    6. Jonathan Chapman, 2020. "Extension of the Franchise and Government Expenditure on Public Goods: Evidence from Nineteenth-Century England," Working Papers 20200045, New York University Abu Dhabi, Department of Social Science, revised Mar 2020.
    7. Herrera, Veronica & Post, Alison E., 2014. "Can Developing Countries Both Decentralize and Depoliticize Urban Water Services? Evaluating the Legacy of the 1990s Reform Wave," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 621-641.
    8. Marson, Marta & Savin, Ivan, 2015. "Ensuring Sustainable Access to Drinking Water in Sub Saharan Africa: Conflict Between Financial and Social Objectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 26-39.

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