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NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,

NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government . Traditional tripartite division of power: Executive Strong executives go back to role of Spanish/Portuguese kinds during the reconquest

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NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,

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  1. NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,

  2. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government • Traditional tripartite division of power: Executive • Strong executives go back to role of Spanish/Portuguese kinds during the reconquest • Center of governmental power since independence in Latin American states • President/dictators tendeded to remain in office for decades in the first century after independence • Nation building • Violence • Monarchical tradition

  3. Latin American Political Systems Historically Favor Executive Power • Spain and the adelantados • Tentativeness of imperial power on the large estates • Destruction of central authority in the independence struggle CAUDILLOS Gen. Manuel Rosas (Argentina)

  4. More on Executive Dominance • Longevity in power was accompanied by • human rights abuses • Development of cult of personality • Denigration of rules, procedures and the law

  5. Longevity of personalistic presidencies spawns limits on reelection in Second Wave Democracies • Diaz in Mexico (1877-1910) • Juan Vicente Gomez in Venezuela (1907 – 1935) • Trujillo in the Dominican Republic (1932-1961) Rafael Trujillo (Dominican Republic)

  6. PresidentialismPredominates in the Third Wave but: • Limits on reelection dissipate • One additional presidential term becoming more common in “Third Wave” democracies • Presidential dictators appear in the twenty-first century?

  7. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government • More on the executive • Multiple executive a failure (Uruguay) • Some experimentation with parliamentary system • Brazil (1961-63) • Peru – prime minister assists the president in administering the bureaucracy • Vice presidents • viewed with suspicion • Sometimes bypassed when presidency becomes vacant

  8. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government • Traditional tripartite division of power • Bicameral most common • States and regions represented in upper chamber • Population based lower chambers Legislative Argentine National Congress

  9. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government • Common in smaller and centralized states • Questioning of the utility of upper chamber in Venezuelan constitution of 1999 UNICAMERAL El Salvador: Legislative Assembly

  10. Strengthening the Legislative Institution • Generally subservient to the executive • Tradition of executive dominance • Personalism is culturally valued • Patronage tends to flow from the executive • Party discipline of individual legislators • Efforts to increase autonomy/power of legislature • Brazil 1992 • Venezuela 1993

  11. Constitutions and Formal Structures of Government • National court system • Most law based on code model (Roman law modified by Napoleon) • Dependent on executive whim in traditional dictatorships • Special courts • Military (fuero) • Labor) • State courts – traditionally tied to local political structure • Municipal courts – relatively minor importance • Traffic violations • Enforcement of zoning JUDICIARY Brasilia: Supreme Court of Brazil

  12. Checks and Balances: Judiciary • Justices named for a fixed term • Writs of AMPARO

  13. Beyond the Tripartite Division of Constitutional Powers • People’s Power (ombudsman function) • Electoral Power • National Electoral Council named through political interaction involving national executive, legislature and political parties • Regional or state electoral councils report to National Electoral Council

  14. Autonomy of State & Local Governments • Characteristic of larger countries • Provides some independence for regional leaders • Local culture and customs have more influence • Often violated in practice Federalism Boundaries and powers of regional governments laid out in constitution

  15. Centralism remains a powerful force • Regional governments function as administrative subdivisions of the national government • Characteristic of small countries • Local culture and customs less given less importance El Salvador Unitary state organization Regional governments administrative subdivisions of national government

  16. Checks and Balances: State & Local Governments • Decentralization currently in vogue • More participation • More efficiency in resource allocation • Strong resistance continues • Opposition to decentralization remains deep-seated • Castro in Cuba • Chavez in Venezuela

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