Resumo

MASCARENO QUINTANA, Carlos. The relationship between the descentralised State and the territorial civil society: context, benefits and limitations in Latin America. Econ. soc. territ [online]. 2008, vol.8, n.27, pp.587-637. ISSN 2448-6183.

Even though in Latin America it is possible to observe processes of descentralisation emerging from the articulation of State and society, it is necessary to recognise that there are still a number of practices and cultures that can be described as populist, patrimonialist and clientelist, which hinder the efforts of the citizen participation. This paper analyses the origin and development of the relationship between State and civil society, emphasising the territorial dimension associated to the democratisation and consolidation of social movements in Latin America. We also explore the performance of the descentralisation processes and some of their characteristics in relationship to the political discourses from which they emerged. Finally, we evaluate the benefits of this relationship and most importantly the limitations regarding its contribution to the democratic process in the region.

Palavras-chave : descentralisation; State; civil society; Latin America.