Public Leadership and Creating Public Value in Latin America

This open access book examines how local governments in Latin America create public value through innovation and leadership under conditions of institutional constraint, territorial inequality, and limited resources.

Integrating a rigorous conceptual framework on public value and public leadership with empirical analysis of municipal case studies across the region, the book offers critical insights into when and how local initiatives generate legitimacy, capacity, and tangible outcomes. Each chapter explores a distinct policy domain, from water management and digital inclusion to care systems and LGBTI+ rights, highlighting both successful and failed interventions. By positioning Latin America as a productive site for theory-building rather than a peripheral context, the book also contributes to global debates on public policy and governance.

The book will appeal to scholars and students seeking analytically grounded insights into subnational governance and public sector innovation.

Ángeles Ortiz-Espinoza is Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at the School of Government and Public Transformation, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.

Pablo de la Peña Sánchez is Director of the Master in Public Administration at the School of Government and Public Transformation, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico.