Interrupting the Domestic Democratic Peace: Understanding State Repression during Neoliberal Development in Latin America

• In Event: 3247 - Open Topic on Sociology of Development

Abstract

Scholars of the democracy-repression nexus point to the attenuating effects of democracy on state repression. However, despite the proliferation of democratic reform across Latin America between 1970-2005, high levels state repression continued to occur throughout this period. Previous studies point to the violent nature of semi-democracies, but do not analyze the period of transition from authoritarian to democratic governments. I propose to study what key political and economic factors explain sporadic surges in state repression during political transitions to democratic government in Latin American? This study uses fuzzy-set qualitative (fsQCA) methodology, a set theoretic methodology that analyzes causal complexity across a small number of cases, to analyze the era of democratic transition in four Latin American countries (Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina). The analysis of causal complexity finds that surges in state repression during the transitional period is likely to occur when protest combines with either two combinations: 1) low democracy and inflation, and 2) presence of both democracy and neocolonial status. A complimentary analysis supports these findings by showing that absence of high levels of repression is likely to occur when high polity scores and neocolonial status are present and protest is absent.

Author

• Martin Jacinto, University of California, Irvine