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 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.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Sánchez, Miguel Eduardo, Senderowitsch, Roby
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-04
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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