Neuquén capital: the metropolis viewed by its inhabitants and users

Abstract

The study of local governments in Argentina is recent. The transformation of the tasks that the municipality must assume and the close relationship with the neighbors/electors increases its visibility on the scene and in the political dispute.

Our line of research focuses on the local State of the Neuquén capital (period 1999-2019), which is characterized by the continuity of a line of government, from party politics as opposed to the provincial government and a parliamentary sphere ─Deliberative Council─ in which the ruling party never had its own majority. During this period, a city project, a government plan and a management style are consolidated. Thus, the city of Neuquén gradually became the metropolis of the Confluence micro-region. This happens in parallel to the conurbation processes that involve cities from two provinces and the explicit recognition of their inhabitants.

This article analyzes the results obtained in an opinion poll carried out among inhabitants and users of the city of Neuquén, which ─as the head of the metropolitan area─ must deploy public policies, together with other levels of the State, to respond to the growing demands in terms of infrastructure and services to the population of the capital city and its area of influence.