Democracy in Argentina

Paper Summary:

This paper presents a discussion and literature review of the ongoing democratization in Argentina. The author examines the impact of human rights organizations in Argentina and how their activism has affected government responses to political issues. Additionally, the paper reviews several articles about the changing political landscape of Argentina. The author concludes that despite various reforms, democratization has a long way to go in this nation.

From the Paper:

"Further evidence of the challenges and obstacles faced by the unemployed workers' movement (piquetero) - in attempting to legitimize their demands and force the national government to create more jobs - is explained on pages 175-176 in John Peeler's text Building Democracy in Latin America. For one thing, in Argentine the political power (for the most part) over the past fifty years or more has been in the hands of two parties, the "Peronists" and the "radicals." Another powerful group (the National Solidarity Front, FREPASO) tried to take power away from the two parties in the 1990s, with a program of "anticorruption." But they failed. They were organized nationally, but the piquetero group has never been that organized and had that much clout. For another thing, Peeler explains is that the leadership of both parties - "especially the Peronists" - have regarded themselves as "movements rather than parties." This means that a movement tends to represent the "whole nation" and a "party" just represents one part of the nation. With two established "movements" constantly getting national power and attention, how could a third, the piquetero movement, gain a foothold in a nation so traditionally locked into those two political forces?"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bonner, Michelle D. 2005, 'Defining rights in democratization: the Argentine government and human rights organizations, 1983-2003', Latin American Politics and Society, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 55-77.
• Gelineau, Francois and Remmer, Karen L. 2006, 'Political decentralization and electoral accountability: the Argentine experience, 1983-2001, British Journal of Political Science, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 133-158.
• Llamazares, Ivan 2005, 'Patterns in Contingencies: the interlocking of formal and informal political institutions in contemporary Argentina', Social Forces, vol. 83, no. 4, pp. 1671-1696.
• Peeler, John 1998. Building Democracy in Latin America. Boulder CO, Lynne Rienner.
• Silva, Eduardo 2006, 'The State of Democracy in Latin America: Post-Transitional Conflicts in Argentina and Chile', Journal of Latin American Studies, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 219-222.

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