Latin American Traditional Parties, 1978-2006: Electoral Trajectories and Internal Party Politics.

The book "Latin American Traditional Parties, 1978-2006: Electoral Trajectories and Internal Party Politics" by Laura Wills-Otero analyzes the reasons behind the variation in the electoral performance of traditional parties in Latin America. The author highlights the importance of party organizational structures and the relationships between national and local leaders and party members. According to Wills-Otero, parties with horizontal structures and democratic procedures are more likely to survive. The book combines a study of 48 parties throughout the presidential and legislative elections between 1978 and 2006 in Latin America, with a comparative study of four cases in Venezuela and Colombia. This study contributes to understanding how political organizations can transform themselves to be effective agents of democratic representation in challenging contexts. [Extracted from the article]