LOYAL TO THE ExECUTIVE: THE EFFECT OF STATE CAPACITY ON LOCAL HORIZONTAL ACCOUNTABILITY

State capacity is often hypothesized to reinforce democracy, wherever democracy already exists. This article demonstrates that, at the local level, can actually undermine by making it harder for councilors hold mayors accountable. Drawing on comparative method, this work analyzes effect of bureaucratic horizontal accountability (which critical liberal democracy) in four municipalities Santiago, Chile. I argue that well-funded, professionalized, and usable bureaucracies allow monopolize relationships with communities and, thus, marginalize municipal councils as key agents accountability. When lack but not usability, still manage avoid access resources contingent upon councilors’ loyalty. Municipal councils’ inclination towards is, however, greater when are highly capable usable. Here, executive lacks influence over electoral support therefore, their