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12. The Politics of Polarization: Governance and Party System Change in Latin America, 1990–2010
- Author:
- Sam Handlin
- Publication Date:
- 11-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- Abstract:
- What are the causes and implications of polarization in new democracies? During Latin America’s “Left Turn” period, highly polarized party systems emerged in some countries–Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador–but not the rest of the region. This paper proposes a theory to explain variation, centered on the presence of electorally relevant parties of the left in the pre-Left Turn period and, most critically, the quality of governance in that period. Poor governance created opportunities for partisan actors on the left to politicize a second dimension of political contestation, anti-systemic versus systemic positions on the design and operation of the state, and thus chart alternative paths to electoral viability that required little left-right programmatic moderation. This dynamic empowered radical party factions and drove polarizing dynamics in party systems. High quality governance, in contrast, gave left parties little choice but to moderate their programs in search of electoral viability. This dynamic empowered moderate party factions and drove centripetal dynamics in party systems. Empirically, the paper tests these arguments through a broad overview of the case universe and in-depth case studies of Venezuela and Brazil.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Development, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
13. The developmental state is dead, long live the developmental regime! Interpreting Néstor Kirchner's Argentina 2003–2007
- Author:
- Christopher Wylde
- Publication Date:
- 04-2014
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Journal of International Relations and Development
- Institution:
- Central and East European International Studies Association
- Abstract:
- The post-crisis administration of Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) saw significant changes in the political economy of Argentina. After characterising these changes this article attempts to place the evidence within an appropriate meta-theoretical interpretation. The article concludes that while elements of historical forms of political economy exist in Néstor Kirchner's regime - elements of populism, elements of neoliberalism - in its entirety, one must look to other explanations not traditionally associated with Latin America, that is, the developmental regime. Such a conclusion facilitates both an enhanced understanding of post-crisis Argentine political economy, and an opportunity to further develop a developmental regime approach.
- Topic:
- Development and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Argentina and Latin America
14. Fiscal Justice to Reduce Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Author:
- Itriago Déborah
- Publication Date:
- 09-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Despite economic growth and the reduction of both poverty and inequality that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has experienced during the last decade, it still remains the most unequal region in the world.
- Topic:
- Economics, Political Economy, and Sociology
- Political Geography:
- Latin America and Caribbean
15. Sergio Cabral Filho, former Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Author:
- Sergio Cabral Filho
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Columbia University World Leaders Forum
- Abstract:
- This World Leaders Forum program, titled "Rio de Janeiro: from Ostracism to Protagonism" features an address by Sergio Cabral Filho, former Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Introduction and Moderated by Lee C. Bollinger, President, Columbia University in the City of New York.
- Topic:
- Development, Emerging Markets, Political Economy, and Foreign Direct Investment
- Political Geography:
- New York, Brazil, and Latin America
16. Mapping the Impact Investing Sector in Brazil
- Publication Date:
- 05-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Aspen Institute
- Abstract:
- During the past 10 years of impact investing in Brazil, we have observed a significant development in the impact investing space. Five years ago, only a few players identified themselves as impact investors, very few organizations in the social sector were investor-ready, and there were almost no co-investment opportunities. A steep increase in the number of investors and amount of capital, greater coordination among players, and a more professional workforce active in the industry today have facilitated the development of impact investing. This market study of the impact investing sector in Brazil reveals significant market growth. Nineteen of Brazil's largest impact investors, including fund managers, banks, foundations, family offices and others surveyed expect to commit 40% to 50% more capital to impact investments in 2014 compared to 2013.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Political Economy, and Infrastructure
- Political Geography:
- Brazil, South America, and Latin America
17. Women's Rights, Indigenous Rights, and Social Cohesion in Latin America
- Author:
- Jane S. Jaquette
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University
- Abstract:
- The exclusion of indigenous peoples is a critical issue in several countries of Latin America and has become more salient as the indigenous themselves have mobilized. Pressures from below are changing the contours of politics, most notably in Bolivia and Ecuador, but also in Guatemala, Peru, and even in Mexico, which has the largest indigenous population of any country in the Western hemisphere.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Demographics, Ethnic Conflict, Gender Issues, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Bolivia
18. 'WE ARE GAÚCHOS, WE ARE GAÚCHAS...' INCITEMENTS TO GENDERED AND REGIONAL SUBJECTIVITY IN THE 2002 BRAZILIAN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS
- Author:
- Benjamin Junge
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- Abstract:
- This paper analyzes Brazil's 2002 presidential and gubernatorial election-campaign discourse, identifying recurrent themes and modes of appeal within campaign discourses. In an introductory section, the conceptual and methodological framework is mapped out, drawing from "anthropology of politics" and media studies scholarship. In this context, a framework for analyzing campaign rhetoric's appeals to a gendered subject and a regional (gaucho) subject is presented. Historical background is provided for the political context and stakes of the 2002 elections, followed by an overview the different types of media used in the campaigns. The analysis proper examines the rhetoric of the presidential campaigns (principally that of leftist Workers Party candidate Luiz In á cio "Lula" da Silva), followed by analysis of the Rio Grande do Sul gubernatorial campaigns. In the concluding section, the argument is presented that the citizen-subject implicit in the official discourses of the Lula campaign is individualist for its concern over everyday-life struggles, nationalist for its concern over the country's well-being, and universalist for its concern with moral justice. For the gubernatorial campaigns, discursive appeal is constructed with heavy recourse to the "timeless tradition" of authentic (and symbolically masculine) gauchismo.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Political Economy, Mass Media, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Brazil and Latin America
19. The Politics of Cuban Transformation – what Space for Authoritarian Withdrawal?
- Author:
- Vegard Bye
- Publication Date:
- 06-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- The Cuban society is undergoing deep changes, more than fifty years after the Revolution and the same number of years with a Castro government. The focus of study is mostly on economic reforms. But economic transition also has great impact - gradually manifesting itself - on the entire political system. The direction of these changes is still quite unclear. In this Working Paper, "The Politics of Cuban Transformation - what Space for Authoritarian Withdrawal?", NUPI Research Fellow Vegard Bye analyzes the choice of direction and some scenarios in the political transformation process.
- Topic:
- Communism, Economics, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Cuba, Latin America, and Caribbean
20. Rethinking the Comparative Perspective on Class and Representation: Evidence from Latin America
- Author:
- Nicholas Carnes and Noam Lupu
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Kellogg Institute for International Studies
- Abstract:
- Does it matter that working-class citizens are numerically underrepresented in political offices throughout the world? For decades, the conventional wisdom in comparative politics has been that it does not, that lawmakers from different classes think and behave roughly the same in office. In this paper, we argue that this conclusion is misguided. Past research relied on inappropriate measures of officeholders' class backgrounds, attitudes, and choices. Using data on 18 Latin American legislatures, we show that lawmakers from different classes bring different economic attitudes to the legislative process. And using data on one least-likely case, we show that pre-voting decisions like sponsoring legislation often differ dramatically along social class lines, even when political parties control higher-visibility decisions like roll-call votes. The unequal numerical or descriptive representation of social classes in the world's legislatures has important consequences for the substantive representation of different class interests.
- Topic:
- Economics, Political Economy, Social Stratification, and Socialism/Marxism
- Political Geography:
- Latin America