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