Why do some populist presidents erode liberal democratic institutions more than others in Latin America?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to the current literature on the relationship between populist rule and liberal democracy by conducting quantitative research with a time-series cross-sectional dataset covering 18 Latin American countries from 1991 to 2017. The findings reveal an overall negative correlation between populist rule and the quality of liberal democratic institutions, highlighting their inherent incompatibility. Nevertheless, this paper argues that several factors influence the governing populists' ability to erode liberal democracy. Specifically, it is observed that the negative impact of populist rule on the quality of liberal democratic institutions is amplified in the presence of higher levels of natural resource rents and lower levels of industrial employment and financial development. Moreover, it is found that the impact of these moderating variables on the relationship between populist rule and liberal democracy is contingent upon the ideological orientation of governing populists.