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Personalist Politics, Clientelism and Citizenship: Local Elections in El Alto, Bolivia
Author(s) -
Lazar Sian
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
bulletin of latin american research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1470-9856
pISSN - 0261-3050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1470-9856.2004.00106.x
Subject(s) - clientelism , citizenship , politics , ethnography , political science , state (computer science) , political economy , population , local government , government (linguistics) , public administration , sociology , law , democracy , anthropology , linguistics , philosophy , demography , algorithm , computer science
The article investigates the citizenship practices of urban Aymara in a neighbourhood of El Alto, Bolivia, through an examination of the municipal elections of December 1999. Using ethnographic methods, I focus on the instrumental and affective sides of clientelism, a central feature of Bolivian elections. I argue that clientelism is a part of citizenship practice, a means of engaging with the state in the person of the politician. A majority of the Bolivian population are marginalised from the oligarchic mestizo system of government, as represented by the traditional political parties. However, at local level, and especially during election campaigns, there is more permeability, and this article sees clientelism as a set of strategies through which citizens attempt to make politics, and politicians, more representative and responsive.