Search

In recent years, most Latin American nations have undergone major crises and political transformations while their macroeconomic conditions have remained stable. In contrast, Argentina is characterized by coexisting high levels of macroeconomic instability and political and partisan stability. The purpose of the present article is to identify the causes of such political and institutional stability, which is sustained despite the macroeconomic disorder, the strong polarization and the deterioration of the social conditions. In addition, the article concludes pointing out which the main challenges that the country is faced with in order for the already achieved stability to be sustained in the near future are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guillermo O'Donnell's empirical theory of democracy has been central to the political science debate. In particular, from the publication of "Ilusiones sobre la Consolidación" to his latest work "Democracia, Agencia y Estado", the ideas of this great Argentine political scientist have not only questioned academic common beliefs around the so-called "new democracies" but also promoted the critical review of the tenets of "consolidated" "old" democracies. The purpose of these reflections is twofold: the first goal is to show how O'Donnell's ideas, ten years after his death, remain impressively relevant to the current context, which can be observed in the empiric and comparative work of hundreds of specialists all over the world. The second is to highlight how important his urge to commit ourselves to a democratic criticism of democracy has become nowadays, given its current challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]