The Political Economy of the Middle Class in the Dominican Republic : Individualization of Public Goods, Lack of Institutional Trust and Weak Collective Action

This paper tries to uncover some of the hidden factors behind poor public service delivery in the Dominican Republic. By looking at three sector cases, education, health and electricity, it is possible to observe that in this setting of low quality...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Sánchez, Miguel Eduardo, Senderowitsch, Roby
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:	ABSENTEEISM ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACCOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS AGED ALLOCATION ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES BASIC SERVICES BENEFICIARIES CAPACITY BUILDING CENTRAL BANK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CITIZEN CITIZEN PARTICIPATION CITIZENS CIVIC PARTICIPATION CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS CLINICS COLLECTIVE ACTION DEMOCRACY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY DISEASES ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC INEQUALITY ECONOMIC POLICIES EDUCATION POLICIES EDUCATION SERVICES EDUCATION SYSTEM ELECTRICITY ENERGY CONSUMPTION ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURES FAMILIES FAMILY MEMBERS FINANCIAL ASSETS FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL PROBLEMS FINANCIAL SHOCKS GDP GOOD GOVERNANCE HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS HEALTH EXPENDITURE HEALTH EXPENDITURES HEALTH INSURANCE HEALTH SECTOR HEALTH SERVICES HOSPITAL HOSPITALS HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD LEVEL HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HUMAN CAPITAL INCOME DISTRIBUTION INFANT INFANT MORTALITY INFANT MORTALITY RATES INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LABOUR FORCE LARGER FAMILIES LEVEL OF EDUCATION LIMITED RESOURCES LIQUIDITY LIVING CONDITIONS LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES MARKET FAILURES MATERNAL MORTALITY MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE MEDICINES MINISTRY OF ECONOMY MORTALITY MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT NATIONAL ACCOUNTS NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PATIENT POLICY DISCUSSIONS POLICY IMPLICATIONS POLICY MAKERS POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL ECONOMY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POLITICIANS POVERTY ASSESSMENT POVERTY LEVEL PRIMARY EDUCATION PRIVATE CONSUMPTION PRIVATE GOODS PRIVATE HANDS PRIVATE INVESTMENT PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATE SPENDING PROGRESS PUBLIC PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC BUDGET PUBLIC CONTRACTS PUBLIC EDUCATION PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC EXPENDITURES PUBLIC FINANCES PUBLIC GOODS PUBLIC GRID PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENDITURE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC OPINION PUBLIC PROVISION PUBLIC RESOURCES PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICE DELIVERY PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC SPENDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC USE PURCHASING POWER PURCHASING POWER PARITY QUALITY OF EDUCATION QUALITY OF SERVICES QUALITY SERVICE QUALITY SERVICES QUALITY STANDARDS RADIO REDISTRIBUTION OF INCOME RELIGIOUS GROUPS REMITTANCES REPUBLIC RESPECT RISK MANAGEMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVICE PROVISION SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL COHESION SOCIAL INSURANCE SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL POLICIES SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SPOUSE STREETS SUPPLY SYSTEMS SURGERY TAX TAX ADMINISTRATION TAX COLLECTION TAX REFORM TELEVISION TOTAL SPENDING TRANSPARENCY VICIOUS CYCLE VULNERABILITY WELFARE STATE WORKERS WORKFORCE WORKING POPULATION
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/04/16239201/political-economy-middle-class-dominican-republic-individualization-public-goods-lack-institutional-trust-weak-collective-action http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6052

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Summary:	This paper tries to uncover some of the hidden factors behind poor public service delivery in the Dominican Republic. By looking at three sector cases, education, health and electricity, it is possible to observe that in this setting of low quality of public services the "middle class" is opting out from the system and adopting private solutions to collective problems. The combination of this opting out behavior with low levels of institutional trust, especially among "middle class" members, fragmented interests and clientelism, among other factors, results in weak collective action and lack of effective demand for improvements in service provision. Some of the tentative policy options to break this sub-optimal equilibrium are i) to build capacity in civil society organizations and help them forming a pro-reform coalition, ii) reduce the gap between the middle class and the poorer by trying to improve the provision of public goods and enlarging the welfare state, and (iii) increase transparency mechanisms and introduce e-government formulas in order to optimize the allocation of public resources.

The Political Economy of the Middle Class in the Dominican Republic : Individualization of Public Goods, Lack of Institutional Trust and Weak Collective Action

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