Apocalypse Not Now? The Argentine Party System after the 2001-2002 Crisis

Abstract

In The Crisis of Democratic Representation in the Andes, Mainwaring, Bejarano & Pizarro Leongomez define party system collapse as a rejection of not just particular parties but of most parties due to a break in the ties between principal and agent. Argentina experienced a situation that not only can be described in those terms, but that also reached its zenith in the political and economic crisis of 2001-2002. The party system was affected, but did not collapse. This case study argues that the reasons for that outcome are a political culture that still prizes democracy despite skepticism towards parties, the continued influence of Peronism over party politics as exemplified by aspects such as its extensive patronage machinery, and the appearance of partisan alternatives that are palpably weak but are nevertheless loyal to the political system and have campaigned on issues related to the crisis of democratic representation. In short, Mainwaring, Bejarano & Pizarro Leongomez’s definition of party system collapse is not an entirely accurate description of what occurred to the Argentine party system as a result of the crisis.