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Checks and Balances in the Colonial Government of Peru: Evidence from Office Prices

In: Roots of Underdevelopment

Author

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  • Jenny Guardado

    (Georgetown University)

Abstract

The chapter examines how the institutional configuration of the eighteenth-century government of Peru shaped the performance of colonial officials. Focused on the role of provincial governors, known as corregidores, I examine how changes in vertical and horizontal institutional checks impact the monetary value of this position between 1687 and 1751. Using temporal variation in the composition of key fiscal and judicial oversight bodies, such as the audiencia and Tribunal de cuentas, as well as the spatial distribution of treasuries, parishes, and bishop seats across provinces, I estimate the relative impact of each type of check on office prices. Estimates show that audiencias and the density of parishes were the most significant determinants of prices compared to other fiscal and religious actors. This suggests that the colonial framework of competing and overlapping jurisdictions was not always ineffective in constraining officials’ behavior at the time, with implications for governance as a whole.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenny Guardado, 2023. "Checks and Balances in the Colonial Government of Peru: Evidence from Office Prices," Springer Books, in: Felipe Valencia Caicedo (ed.), Roots of Underdevelopment, pages 97-126, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-38723-4_4
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-38723-4_4
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