The Mayors on the Agenda: An Analysis of the Studies on Subnational Politics and Local Executives in Latin American Political Science Journals (2010-2022)

Abstract

After decentralization reforms in Latin America, the prominence of local political actors, and mayor in particular, has increased significantly in the region. Their role is crucial in the analysis of diverse national and local political phenomena. However, is this importance reflected in the study of subnational politics in Latin America? We argue that the analysis of subnational politics and particularly mayors has received a scant attention in Latin American Political Science research. Examining the production of 28 journals published in or focusing on Latin America between 2010 and 2022, we show that —with ample variation between the journals— only 6,59% of the almost 8,000 reviews articles focus on subnational politics and only 0,79% study the role of mayors in local politics. Using empirical examples from recent studies, we show why these findings are disconcerting.