Increasing Responsiveness: Executive Power in the Municipality of Guatemala since 1944

Relatively young among the Spanish capitals in Latin America, the present Guatemala City has served as capital for 222 years, while other capitals have existed for over 450 years. The City has grown rapidly in the past fifty years and now has a population of over two million. During those fifty years, the mayors--elected or appointed--have scrambled to try to keep up with the ever-growing demand for public services, especially water, streets and urban transportation. The normal relationship between municipal and central authorities since 1944 has been one of political opposition. Only in the wave of democracy--1945-1954--and the current wave--since 1986--have central government and the municipality worked together effectively to improve the quality of life in the dominant urban center of the nation, Guatemala City