Toward Effective Typology Construction in the Study of Latin American Political Leadership

Abstract

The study of political leadership and elites is important for an understanding of any society. Political leaders are actors in decision-making process which allocates resources within and among social units. Their acts of choice constitute component of governing process. To understand any social order we must have a systematic grasp of background attributes, career attributes, value and issue orientations, behaviors and environmental context of political leaders. The importance of leadership strata in study of Latin American seems especially clear. It is common to find major features of politics in Latin described in terms of factors directly associated with nature of political leadership. Martin C. Needler takes a typical position in emphasizing the central role of military, prevalence of violence, ascendancy of dominant personalities . . widespread graft and nepotism.1 Charles W. Anderson thrusts point even more directly, contending that the characteristic political process of Latin America is one of manipulation and negotiation among power contenders with reciprocally recognized power capabilities.2 Given acknowledged importance of studying political leadership in Latin America, it is striking that so little systematic research has been