Democracy without Parties in Peru: The Politics of Uncertainty and Decay

This book explores the political dynamics in Peru, where political parties are withering, and presents a case study of the country's "democracy without parties." It examines the post-2000 evolution of electoral vehicles and classifies the partisan universe as a party non-system, perpetuated by endogenous factors such as personalism and the scarcity of information. The book also explores electoral dynamics in partyless settings, shaped by effective electoral supply, personal brands, contingency, and strategic voting calculi. It highlights the negative effects of "negative legitimacy environments" on democratic functions, such as high political uncertainty, incumbency disadvantage, and political time compression.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 518 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate political dynamics that prevail in a democracy devoid of political parties, providing a revealing glimpse into the growing prevalence of political undercurrents throughout the Latin American region, where political parties are experiencing a decline. Spanning over three decades, Peru has served as a prime example of a political landscape characterized by amateur politicians and the overwhelming dominance of personalism as the primary mechanism linking voters to parties. The study explores the post-2000 evolution of several key Peruvian electoral vehicles and categorizes the partisan landscape as a party non-system.

Several endogenous factors within personalist electoral vehicles contribute to the perpetuation of partylessness, hindering the development of political parties. The book also examines the electoral dynamics in partyless settings, where effective electoral supply, personal brands, contingency, and iterated rounds of strategic voting calculi shape the political landscape. Given the limited information provided by electoral vehicles and the complex political environment inhabited by Peruvian citizens, personal brands serve as readily available informational shortcuts that simplify the political realm.

To capture political settings characterized by supermajorities of floating voters, pervasive negative political identities, and a general citizen preference for newcomers and political outsiders, the concept of "negative legitimacy environments" is introduced. These environments, increasingly prevalent throughout Latin America, have detrimental effects, including heightened political uncertainty, incumbent disadvantage, and political time compression. Unfortunately, Peru's "democracy without parties" falls short in delivering essential democratic functions such as governability, responsiveness, horizontal and vertical accountability, and democratic representation.

Weight: 694g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030875817
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022