Polarization in Latin America: Multiple Dimensions and Varied Effects

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

Although the “Washington Consensus” of the 1990s is widely thought to have given way to a new era of political polarization in Latin America, this polarization is not always evident in public opinion surveys, and many scholars view it as an elite-driven phenomenon that has little resonance with the broader public. This panel explores these apparent inconsistencies and tries to advance our understanding of the social bases of political and ideological polarization. It places contemporary Latin American polarization in a broader historical and comparative perspective, conceptualizes the multiple dimensions and different levels of analysis at which polarization may (or may not) be detected and measured, and examines how polarization is related to social and cultural cleavage structures, partisan stereotyping, and patterns of social protest. This multidimensional perspective is not only essential to explain the sources and dynamics of contemporary polarization, but also to understand its political effects—including its realignment of partisan and electoral competition, its potential destabilizing impact on democratic institutions, and its association with democratic erosion or “backsliding.” The proposed panel is designed to provide feedback on a set of papers being written for a special issue of Latin American Politics and Society dedicated to the study polarization and its consequences for democratic governance.

Sub Unit

• Division 11: Comparative Politics

Individual Presentations

• The New Polarization in Latin America: Dynamic Patterns and Multiple Dimensions - Paolo Moncagatta, Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Rodolfo Sarsfield, Autonomous University of Queretaro; Kenneth M. Roberts, Cornell University

• Sources and Consequences of Latin American Polarization: A Comparative View - Jennifer McCoy, Georgia State University

• Partisan Stereotyping and Polarization in Brazil - David J. Samuels, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Cesar Zucco, Getulio Vargas Foundation; Fernando Barros de Mello, Carlos III-Juan March Institute of Social Sciences

• Inequality, Institutions, and Democratic Erosion - Eli Gavin Rau, Tecnológico de Monterrey; Susan C. Stokes, University of Chicago

Chair

• Kenneth M. Roberts Cornell University

Discussant

• Maria Victoria Murillo Columbia University