Parrado, Salvador creator Salvador, Miquel text xu| 2011 continuing ng p.687-712. Research into 72 regulatory authorities in four policy sectors (pharmacy, telecommunications, finances and pensions) in 18 Latin American countries shows that the institutionalization of meritocratic practices in the recruitment and careers of its staff has not been widespread, even in countries with a professionalized bureaucracy. The implementation of meritocracy could be partially explained through the policy sector and the influence of epistemic communities while alternative explanations like administrative legacies or the autonomy of the regulatory authorities to devise and implement personnel policies play a less important role. The institutionalization of meritocracy in 'islands of excellence' has policy implications for sustained merit-based strategies for the civil service.- Reproduced. Bureaucracy - Latin America Bureaucracy International Review of Administrative Sciences 180718