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

本论文研究尼加拉瓜和哥斯达黎加的能源和水务设施私有化问题。私有化已成为国际发展界的主要战略之一，但我们的大部分知识都是基于发达国家的经验。这项研究将比较两个私有化历史不同的中美洲国家最近的经验。在哥斯达黎加，私有化一直是缓慢而深思熟虑的，而尼加拉瓜则接受了国际压力，要求迅速私有化，减少公众参与。将使用二级数据记录每个国家每个行业的私有化类型和程度。对两国政府、企业和工会领导人的采访将评估谁是向私有化过渡的重要参与者，私有化带来的预期收益和成本，以及国家监管如何在水和能源行业发挥作用。

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.