Management from Above over the Municipalities of Chaco, Argentina 1994-1995

This paper describes the hidden consequences of uneven social expenditure distribution driven by decentralization in the structural adjustment program in Argentina, drawing on data from an exploratory survey done in eight municipalities of Chaco province. These findings show how political bias marks the path that localizes programs. These programs are allocated from national level, bypassing provincial agencies' control, & diverted to municipal level. In doing so, the municipalities competed with each other in order to gain resources from the national level. The paper ends with a discussion on strategies & ideas to enhance the relationship between municipalities. The aim is to form a common strategy toward local empowerment to face the uneven social distribution of the federal government expenditure. 10 Charts, 1 Map, 6 References. Adapted from the source document.