New Books in Anthropology Diana Graizbord, "Indicators of Democracy: The Politics and Promise of Evaluation Expertise in Mexico" (Stanford UP, 2024)
May 3, 2025
Diana Graizbord, an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, dives into her research on political accountability in Mexico. She reveals how evaluation expertise can enhance democratic practices amidst complex social dynamics. Graizbord discusses the evolution of Mexico's democracy through monitoring initiatives, particularly focusing on the influential conditional cash transfer program. She introduces the idea of techno-democracy, exploring the intricate balance between expert knowledge and citizen engagement in shaping social policies.
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Ethnography Among Evaluation Experts
- Diana Graizbord shared her experience doing ethnography among evaluation experts in Mexico.
- She faced challenges as these experts questioned her academic training and hypotheses.
Progresa and Birth of CONEVAL
- Progresa Oportunidades is a landmark Mexican conditional cash transfer program starting in 1995.
- CONEVAL was established in 2005 to institutionalize evaluation of social programs inspired by Progresa's success.
CONEVAL and Mexico's Political Shift
- CONEVAL's emergence follows Mexico's technocratic and pro-democracy transitions in the 1980s and 1990s.
- It embodies "citizenization" by involving academics and journalists in autonomous oversight roles.