Democracy at Work

Pathways to Well-Being in Brazil

Brian Wampler, Natasha Borges Sugiyama, Michael Touchton

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781108493147
• eBook ISBN:
  9781108625814
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

One of the greatest challenges in the twenty-first century is to address large, deep, and historic deficits in human development. Democracy at Work explores a crucial question: how does democracy, with all of its messy, contested, and, time-consuming features, advance well-being and improve citizens' lives? Professors Brian Wampler, Natasha Borges Sugiyama, and Michael Touchton argue that differences in the local robustness of three democratic pathways - participatory institutions, rights-based social programs, and inclusive state capacity - best explain the variation in how democratic governments improve well-being. Using novel data from Brazil and innovative analytic techniques, the authors show that participatory institutions permit citizens to express voice and exercise vote, inclusive social programs promote citizenship rights and access to public resources, and more capable local states use public resources according to democratic principles of rights protections and equal access. The analysis uncovers how democracy works to advance capabilities related to poverty, health, women's empowerment, and education.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• List of Interviews
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 Democracy at Work
• 2 Building Pathways for Change
• 3 Research Design, Methods, and Variables
• 4 Reducing Poverty: Broadening Access to Income
• 5 Improving Health: Saving Lives
• 6 Empowering Women: Saving Mothers and Enhancing Opportunities
• 7 Educating Society: Promoting Public Education and Learning
• 8 Pathways at Work: Lessons from Brazil’s Poor Northeast
• Conclusion: How Democracy Improves Well-Being
• Appendix: Democracy at Work Pathways to Well-Being in Brazil
• References
• Index