Abstract

Based on empirical evidence, that for some time now suggests the beginning of a spatial and political-administrative decentralization process in Chile, the author asks herself whether this process is a consequence of spatial planning policies which have been introduced during the last four governments (1964-1994). Or whether, on the one hand, the spatial decentralization process is a consequence of an economic policy, which is orientated towards the external market and which was introduced in Chile at the end of 1973; and, on the other hand whether there existed a political-administrative decentralization process, which is a product of a regionalization process that started in1974. Last but not at least, the author asks herself whether these spatial and political-administrative decentralization processes were supported -explicitly or implicitly- during the reign of the previous four governments (1964-1994) through the implementation of some sectoral policies.