Conrado Ramos Larraburu – författare

Although merit system selection and management of public personnel is thought of as the standard for good governance, public employees frequently are appointed by political officials rather than being members of a career civil service. In fact, there has been an increase in the level of patronage appointments and politicization of public administration over the past several decades as political leaders attempt to impose their control over the public bureaucracy. Although widespread, patronage appointments in the public sector are particularly important in Latin America, where there is a tradition of extensive patronage.  The Politics of Patronage Appointments in Latin American Central Administrations seeks to understand the motivations of patrons when they make appointments, the roles appointees play, the skills required to play these roles, and what accounts for different modalities of patronage. It moves beyond the conventional condemnation of patronage to examine the multiple uses of political appointments, which can be crucial for obtaining the services of highly qualified individuals who otherwise might not be willing to work in the public sector.

This expansive Handbook discusses key conceptual and theoretical issues in politicization and patronage. With contributions from leading academics across the globe, it presents diverse perspectives on politicization and patronage practices, exploring the positive and negative implications of both concepts.Chapters analyze detailed case studies from a range of countries, regime types and levels of governance, providing critical insights into the variations of politicization and patronage practices and advocating for a clear differentiation between the two terms. Expert authors examine the methodologies involved in the study of these concepts, including prosopography, experimental methods and the difficulties of conducting research within authoritarian regimes. The Handbook emphasizes the recent increase in both patronage and politicization, particularly within democratic regimes, and makes timely suggestions for future research.This comprehensive Handbook is vital for students and scholars of public administration and management, public policy, political science and regulation and governance. It is also a valuable resource for government officials and public policymakers.