Doctoral Dissertation Research: State Autonomy, Accountability, and Utility Privatization in Nicaragua and El Salvador

本论文研究了尼加拉瓜和哥斯达黎加的能源和水公用事业的私有化。 私有化已成为国际发展界的主要战略之一，然而，我们的大部分知识是以发达国家的经验为基础的。 这项研究将比较两个具有不同私有化历史的中美洲国家最近的经验。 在哥斯达黎加，私有化是缓慢和慎重的，而尼加拉瓜则接受国际压力，在较少公众参与的情况下迅速私有化。 将使用二级数据记录每个国家每个行业私有化的类型和程度。 与政府，企业和工会领导人在这两个国家的采访将评估谁是重要的行为者在私有化的过渡，什么样的感知收益和成本已作为私有化的结果，以及国家监管如何发挥作用，在水和能源行业。

This dissertation investigates privatization of energy and water utilities in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Privatization has become one of the leading strategies in international development circles and yet most of our knowledge is based on the experiences of developed countries. This study will compare the recent experience in two Central American countries with different histories of privatization. In Costa Rica, privatization has been slow and deliberate while Nicaragua has embraced international pressures to privatize quickly with less public participation. Secondary data will be used to document the type and extent of privatization in each of the industries in each country. Interviews with government, business, and union leaders in the two countries will evaluate who the important actors were in the transition to privatization, what the perceived benefits and costs have been as a result of privatization, and how state regulation has played a role in the water and energy industries.