NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,
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NATIONAL POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS,
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
CAUDILLOS Gen. Manuel Rosas (Argentina)
◦ Spain and the adelantados
◦ Tentativeness of imperial power on the large estates
◦ Destruction of central authority in the independence struggle
Longevity in power was accompanied by ◦ human rights abuses ◦ Development of cult of personality◦ Denigration of rules, procedures and the law
Rafael Trujillo (Dominican Republic)
Diaz in Mexico (1877-1910)
Juan Vicente Gomez in Venezuela (1907 – 1935)
Trujillo in the Dominican Republic (1932-1961)
◦Limits on reelection dissipate One additional
presidential term becoming more common in “Third Wave” democracies
Presidential dictators appear in the twenty-first century?
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
Legislative Argentine National Congress
Traditional tripartite division of power
Bicameral most common States and regions
represented in upper chamber
Population based lower chambers
UNICAMERAL El Salvador: Legislative Assembly
Common in smaller and centralized states
Questioning of the utility of upper chamber in Venezuelan constitution of 1999
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
JUDICIARY Brasilia:
Supreme Court of Brazil
◦ 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
Justices named for a fixed term Writs of AMPARO
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
Federalism Boundaries and powers of regional governments laid out in constitution
Characteristic of larger countries
Provides some independence for regional leaders
Local culture and customs have more influence
Often violated in practice
Unitary state organization
Regional governments administrative subdivisions of national government
Regional governments function as administrative subdivisions of the national government
Characteristic of small countries
Local culture and customs less given less importance
El Salvador
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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