Download file 75 KB Texto completo en español More of: Salvador  Valdés Prieto

The first part of this article considers the electoral spending transparency, limits and control bill that the government has sent to the Senate, from the social welfare standpoint (in other words of achieving good legislation). The assessment is that along with some positive proposals, such as requiring the candidates to keep accounts, the key features of the bill, were it to become law, would worsen the real situation of financial dishonesty in Chilean political activity, contrary to the apparent effects.
The second part of the article adopts a strategic approach and analyses the private interests of the main coalitions in relation to this bill. It states that a recent CEP public opinion survey rates the alliance worse than the governing coalition in terms of having more to hide about its financing. It argues that this asymmetry is evolving and is therefore subject to initiatives by the coalitions. In the final section, the article returns to the benevolent viewpoint and proposes concrete measures to restore confidence of citizens who believe financial dishonesty is rife in political activity.