The general objective of this study is to gather, systematise, analyse and disseminate in one single text, the main characteristics –both formal and actual– of political funding systems in the 18 countries it covered. Furthermore, it aims to find, on the one hand, points of agreement and differences to better understand this central aspect of the functioning of democracy in Latin America; on the other hand, it aims to identify the major trends of reform and their possible repercussions for political party systems and democratic regimes throughout the region.
Political finance in Latin America is examined from three perspectives: a) a comparative regional analysis based on five thematic approaches –i.e. political funding systems, access to the media, account-rendering and disclosure, controlling entities and system of sanctions, and the gender perspective; b) a comparative, subregional analysis (including Central America, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, the Andean subregion, and the Southern Cone); and c) 18 country case studies.
Far from prescribing formulas or models for the creation, reform, or management of political funding systems, an outline is here presented about available options in the area of reform and their possible consequences. The aim is to contribute, with information and knowledge, to encourage reflection and enrich the discussion. Additionally, a number of non-prescriptive recommendations are formulated for the various actors involved in the process of political finance reforms.
The development of democracy that has taken place throughout the Americas over the last decades has contributed significantly to the consolidation of civil and political liberties in the hemisphere and has also reassured the legitimacy of elections as a mechanism to elect political authorities. As a result of this evolution, the role of political parties has gained critical relevance for the functioning of democracy, as without them the latter would not be feasible.
Within this context, consolidation of electoral contest has been recognised as one of the greatest challenges to the functioning and stability of democracy. Thus, the strengthening of political parties and the institutionalisation of party systems that adequately embody and represent the aspirations and interests of citizens, emerge as an unavoidable priority. At the same time, the organisation and day to day functioning of a political party and its participation in elections are activities that demand having sufficient financial resources, thereby creating an unavoidable link between money, political parties, and election campaigns.
This relationship -in itself essential for the quality of democracy- has created concern over the past few years, as it became evident that money flows from private sources has often compromised the autonomy of political parties and authorities in the performance of their duties. Similarly, the issue of public funding has brought about a broad discussion as to its advantages and limitations.
The combination of these elements has encouraged various actors to devise and implement mechanisms intended to ensure greater equity and transparency in the funding of political parties and election campaigns.
In this regard, and based on a shared premise that political funding is today a major challenge to the health and quality of democracy, the Organization of American States and International IDEA agreed to carry out a research project on this issue in 34 countries in Latin America, North America (the United States and Canada), and the Caribbean.
This research presents the state of the art on rules and practices of the funding of political parties and election campaigns in the hemisphere, based on five thematic approaches: political funding systems; access to the media; accountrendering and disclosure; controlling entities and systems of sanctions; and the gender perspective. The study, updated through December 2003, is presented in the form of three reports: one for the 18 Latin American countries, which was published in Spanish; the second one for the United States and Canada (published in English) and a third one comprising all 14 Caribbean countries, also published in English.
It is, both as a whole and individually, a study intended for consultation, a working tool that we hope will be useful for politicians, electoral management bodies, civil society organisations, and scholars.
Although each of these studies has been individually published, our institutions have sought to offer the reader a compilation, in English, of the most relevant material contained in each report. Thus, we present this new work containing: a) the comparative regional reading of the Latin American study and the tables regarding the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns in the region included in Appendix 1 of the Spanish publication, b) the reports corresponding to Canada and the United States and c) the study that comprises the Caribbean countries.
It is important to note that for each of the studies we have kept its introductory pages in order to allow the reader to become acquainted with the original publications. Regarding the Latin America study, the introduction deals with the overall origins of this research project, its thematic approaches, the audience for whom the study is intended, the methodological considerations and the limitations encountered. The United States, Canada and Caribbean studies present acknowledgements of the people that contributed to the research.
Our aspiration is that this study will serve to deepen the research and discussion about the challenge it entails for democracy to adequately address the relation between money and politics, while also contributing to promote reforms aimed at enhancing equity and transparency in the financing of political parties and election campaigns.
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Organisation of
American States
(OAS)
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International Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance
International IDEA |
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