Decentralisation and rural development in Mexico : community participation in Oaxaca's Municipal Funds Program.

This paper examines the effect of decentralisation on community participation, with particular reference to the channeling of funds to Municipal level in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The study suggests that where local governments are already democratic and responsive to their citizens as was found to be the case in Oaxaca, decentralisation can be a positive force increasing participation. However, the report suggests that devolving project-funding decision making to local governments will not necessarily increase participation and indeed may actually reinforce authoritarian rule at the local level in instances where the necessary institutional change has not taken place.