Is Latin America democratic and does it matter?

1. Is Latin America democratic and does it matter? Maria Escobar-Lemmon Dept. of Political Science Texas A&M University

2. What do we mean by Democracy?

3. Freedom in the World Free Partly Free Not Free Source: www.freedomhouse.org

5. What is Democracy? • A set of institutions that permits the entire adult population to act as citizens by choosing their leading decision makers in competitive, fair, and regularly scheduled elections which are held in the context of the rule of law, guarantees for political freedom and limited military prerogative.

6. Emphasizes process vs. outcomes • Procedural/political concentrate on democratic resolution of conflicts and decision-making. • Social emphasizes substantive outcomes of decisions (income distribution, economic and social welfare)

7. “Delegative” Democracy • Problem: Latin America’s democracies seem to have institutions, but aren’t representative. • Result: Emergence of “delegative” democracies – where elected presidents “govern as he or she sees fit”. • Absence of other institutions to check presidential power. • Removes incentives to keep campaign promises. Guillermo O’Donnell. 1994. “Delegative Democracy” Journal of Democracy.

8. Weak Institutions • Weak political institutions (and distrust of them) is an issue that confronts many countries and makes functioning of democracy difficult.

9. Trust in Institutions, 2000 Source: Lagos, Marta. 2001. “Between Stability and Crisis in Latin America” Journal of Democracy 12(1): 137-145.

10. The “left” and democracy

11. The left • Emphasizes: • social improvement vs. orthodox macroeconomic policy • egalitarian distribution of wealth vs. free-market capitalism • sovereignty vs. international cooperation

12. Status of the “left” at the end of 2006 • In 2007: • Guatemala – Sept 9, headed to run-off Nov. 4th • Argentina – Oct 28 Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/americas/06/year_of_elections/html/nn1page3.stm

13. The New Latin American Left • Uruguay: Tabaré Vázquez • Chile: Michelle Bachelet • Brazil: Luis Inácio Lula • Argentina: Néstor Kirchner • Venezuela: Hugo Chávez • Bolivia: Evo Morales • Ecuador: Rafael Correa • Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega

14. The rise of the left • Situation was ripe • Favorable geopolitical conditions • Economic situation • Debt • Failure of the “Washington Consensus” • Consolidation of democracy • Demand for clean and accountable government Source: Jorge Castaneda Utopia Unarmed: The Latin American Left After the Cold War

15. One Left or Two? • “Reformed” communists and socialists • Evolution similar to socialists in Western Europe • Concerned with poverty/inequality • Flexible on economic questions as they do not reject the market Source: “Latin America's Left Turn” Jorge G. Castaneda Foreign Affairs, May/June 2006

16. “Reformed” or “Reinvented” Left • Emphasize social policy while sticking to mostly orthodox economic policy. • Examples: • Chile – Presidents Lagos and Bachelet • Uruguay – President Vázquez • Brazil – President da Silva (“Lula”) Pres. Michelle Bachelet Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Pres. Tabaré Vázquez

17. “Reformed” or “Reinvented” Left (cont.) • This variant of the left one might argue is not bad for the US (or business) and is potentially good for democracy in the region.

18. One Left or Two? (cont.) • “ Populist” Left • Pro-poor, but not anti-business • Strange bedfellows • Nationalistic, verging on “anti-American” • When all else fails spend money Source: “Latin America's Left Turn” Jorge G. Castaneda Foreign Affairs, May/June 2006

19. Pres. Hugo Chávez Frias Pres. Juan Evo Morales Pres. Néstor Kirchner Populist Left • Rhetoric and style matter. Maintaining popularity trumps social programs. • Examples: • Venezuela – President Chávez • Argentina – President Kirchner ? • Bolivia – President Morales?

20. Populist Left • This left is potentially scary both in economic terms and US-Latin America relations, but also for democracy.

21. Toward the Future Challenges and Hope for the Region

22. The bad news… Poverty and Inequality remain persistent problems

23. Richest 20% vs. Poorest 20%

24. The good news… Institutions appear to be working

25. Political Institutions do work • Colombia • Elections and democracy have survived in a context of violence • 1991 Constitution was re-written in a process that got one guerilla group to demobilize and form a political party • President Uribe’s recent moves raise questions Pres. Álvaro Uribe 38th President of Colombia

26. Pres. Calderón López Obrador Political Institutions do work • Mexico • 2000 PRI admitted losing an election and allowed PAN and Vicente Fox to take over the presidency • President now has to bargain with legislature • Exceeding close election between Felipe Calderón (P.A.N.) and Andrés Manuel López Obrador (P.R.D.) • Federal Electoral Tribunal decision • Protests, but limited violence

27. The good news… (cont.) In a traditionally “machista” region, women have made impressive gains in achieving representation

28. Source: Escobar-Lemmon and Taylor-Robinson, unpublished manuscript.

29. Source: Escobar-Lemmon and Taylor-Robinson, unpublished manuscript.

30. Number of women in presidential cabinets Source: Escobar-Lemmon and Taylor-Robinson. 2005.

31. Percentage of the Supreme Court that is Female, South America Source: Avellaneda, Cardona, Escobar-Lemmon, unpublished manuscript

32. Percentage of the Supreme Court that is Female, Central America Source: Avellaneda, Cardona, Escobar-Lemmon, unpublished manuscript