Most of the world’s population lives in cities in developing countries, where access to basic public services, such as water, electricity, and health clinics, is either inadequate or sorely missing. Water and Politics shows how politicians benefit politically from manipulating public service provision for electoral gain. In many young democracies, politicians exchange water service for votes or political support, rewarding allies or punishing political enemies. Surprisingly, the political problem of water provision has become more pronounced, as water service represents a valuable political currency in resource-scarce environments. Water and Politics finds that middle-class and industrial elites play an important role in generating pressure for public service reforms.

Includes entries for maps and atlases.

First published in 1982, State Policies and Migration is a study on migration-related government action. This book consists of analyses of various rural reforms and industrial strategies in eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. The emphasis of the studies has been determined by the particular context of the country or region concerned, but in general the studies fall into three categories. The first four chapters are primarily concerned with land reforms, however partial. The next two chapters focus on general industrialisation strategies, considering their impact on urbanisation and the attempts made to achieve population redistribution within the context of the longstanding process of industrialisation. Finally, the third section consists of two very different cases of attempts to alter population distribution in the context of transforming the socio-economic structure. This book will be of interest to students of economics, agriculture, history, public policy and migration studies.