Abstract

REVELO REBOLLEDO, Javier Eduardo. Experts and Fans. The Presidential Nomination Power, Bureaucracy and the Colombian State Capacity, 2002-2010. Pap.polit. [online]. 2010, vol.15, n.2, pp.411-458. ISSN 0122-4409.

The 1991 Constitution allows the President to nominate or appoint the directors of different institutions that are not dependant of the executive branch. This is called the presidential nomination power. This paper characterizes how the ex-President Álvaro Uribe used his nomination power in his two periods of government, and explains the implications of this practice for the Colombian institutionalism. The analysis was carried out by the articulation of three topics: presidential nomination power, bureaucracy and state capacity. Enhance of the state capacity requires a professional bureaucracy that performs administrative tasks without the influence of political or partisan interest. The study's main conclusion is that ex-President Uribe, by using this power, influenced the appointment of public officials that were driven by political loyalties, but lacked professional merits. This was achieved by using questionable strategies such as lists "of one", "of a party" or "of zero" candidates. As a result, ex-President Uribe shaped the recruitment of a high bureaucracy profitable for his short term policies, but that are very harmful for the state in the long run. Therefore, the use of the nomination presidential power has weakened the state capacity, has built a political patrimonial regimen and has strengthened, even more, the Colombian presidential regime. After eight years after Álvaro Uribe took office the Colombian state is less strong and democratic.

Keywords : State Capacity; Bureaucracy; Presidential Nomination Power; Presidential Regime.

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