The legitimacy of proximity and its institutions: participatory devices in the municipalities of Morón, Rosario and Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Summary This thesis aims to relate contemporary transformations of democratic legitimacy to the participatory boom of recent decades. It takes Argentina as an illustration, developing a field survey in the municipalities of Moron, Rosario and Ciudad de Buenos Aires in the period 2007-2010. The starting point is the definition of the "legitimacy of proximity", as a new form of legitimacy in terms of the attributes that politicians must display. It implies a new type of identification between representatives and represented, called "anti-charismatic identification", where politicians must present themselves as "ordinary men". The legitimacy of proximity is manifested in political representation, but finds its most institutionalized form in "participatory devices". We therefore try to demonstrate how these devices are today the institutions of proximity. We sketch a classification of the devices according to the aspects of the legitimacy of proximity that crystallize in them, distinguishing five types: the devices of participation-experience, like the participative budget . the devices of participation-presence, like the banca abierta and the concejo en los barrios . participation-whistle-blowing mechanisms, such as the anti-corruption office . participation-immediacy mechanisms, such as the urban hygiene commission and the safety forums . and finally, participation-recognition mechanisms, such as the councils of adults and people with special needs and the youth participatory budget.