중남미

Promoting transparency and accountability in government is an issue in all democracies. For nascent and fragile democracies, however, it is a particularly thorny matter. Latin America has witnessed the decline of authoritarian rule and the emergence of democracy; yet this new form of democratic governance is plagued by corrupt institutions and is a source of great concern for civil society. Argentina is a noteworthy example. In 1983, the country endeavored to establish democratic institutions and forms of governance, casting off the shackles of a repressive, authoritarian-military regime.Yet, the transition to democracy and subsequent consolidation of democratic institutions has been marked by an overall disappointment in the ability to transform corrupt government and a deep concern about the quality and nature of democracy. The recent economic crisis, political calamities, and civil unrest in 2001-2002 have yielded profound changes on the social and political landscape that are deepened by formidable institutionalized political and economic corruption. The issue of corruption has reached critical juncture.Hence, the purpose of this project is to address the gap in current research by undertaking a case study of the role that civil society organizations in Argentina play in combating corruption and ensuring political accountability. In order to understand the mode of operation and accomplishments of civil society in combating corruption, specific activities of ‘Poder Ciudadano' will be drawn in three folds: election fund watchdog system, securing transparency in local government procurement and school textbook selection.