Instituciones políticas y presupuesto público : el caso de Colombia, 1990-2003

Abstract

This essay links empirical evidence of public budgets with some political habits (informal institutions) in Colombia. The first part is theoretical and fixes the concepts of institutions, fiscal rules and clientelism. The second reviews some empirical studies which connect colonial institutions and economic performance. In section three, budget statistics are presented in support of hypotheses about political logics that conduct the deals in Colombian Congress. Finally, we evaluate the consequences of this political game on budget objectives.