Publications

Bittersweet Lessons and Promising Vistas: Citizen Participation’s Place in Improving the Quality of Democracy in Peru

University of San Martin de Porres · Aug 21, 2009

International development literature has extensively documented how poor governance in Latin America inhibits economic growth and improved distribution. To help remedy these problems and promote accountability, some NGOs and academics have urged creation of official institutions for citizen participation. A wealth of high-quality comparative research has sought to isolate the conditions under which these types of institutions function best.

In contrast, this paper seeks to answer how well these institutions are functioning for promoting accountability and what lessons should be drawn from these experiences. Three municipalities in Peru are evaluated through surveys, in-depth interviews, budget analyses, and personal observations. The study finds that, in Peru, these institutions have not improved accountability. Given such a finding, it recommends that additional research examine participatory reforms in the greater institutional context to determine which institutions and approaches should receive scarce resources in order to best strengthen democracy.

Recent Flashpoints in a Famous Regional Case Study: Compensation for Ecosystem Services and Rural Development

University of North Carolina School of Law 2011 Environmental Law Symposium “Environmental Law outside the Washington Beltway” · Feb 11, 2011

Since 1997, New York City’s ecosystem-services-based drinking water approach has been cited and lauded by ecosystem services proponents around the world. However, a lawsuit brought by several towns in the City’s watershed, shows that the lingering disagreements with rural communities upstream have not been extinguished as was first hoped at the outset of the program. This paper reviews the creation of the City’s ecosystem services program, examines two of its major policy provisions, and discusses the significance of upstream rural communities’ actions.

On the Pulse of America: The Federal Government’s Assertion of Jurisdiction over Electric Transmission Planning and Its Effect on the Public Interest

North Carolina Law Review · May 1, 2013

Electricity is essential for our modern life, but paying a monthly electric utility bill significantly affects the financial situation of a great many Americans, from lower-income families to mighty industries. America's electricity grid-that network of towering transmission lines, transformers, and telephone-pole distribution that delivers electricity on demand to consumers nationwide-is an awe-inspiring machine that requires significant investments in modernization to ensure system reliability for residents, businesses, and critical medical and communications infrastructure.

Given the potential for substantial benefits and costs for American communities and industry, it is essential to carry out this investing equitably and efficiently. Planning how to invest, however, is fraught with controversy.