Overview

Why, since the beginning of the twenty-first century, have so many Latin American countries elected governments identifying themselves with the ideological Left? In The Success of the Left in Latin America: Untainted Parties, Market Reforms, and Voting Behavior, Rosario Queirolo argues that the “pink tide” that swept across Latin America beginning in the late 1990s—with the election of a growing number of leftist political candidates to public office—was caused by the intent of voters to punish political parties unable to improve the economic well-being of their electorates. She argues that Latin Americans vote based on performance, ousting those whom they perceive as responsible for economic downturns, and ushering into power those in the “untainted opposition,” which has been the Left in most Latin American countries. Queirolo argues that the effects of neoliberal economic reforms did not produce more votes for political parties on the Left. Rather, the key variable is unemployment. Left-leaning parties in Latin America increase their electoral chances when unemployment is high. In addition to explaining recent electoral successes of leftist parties, The Success of the Left in Latin America also undermines a dominant scholarly view of Latin Americans as random and unpredictable voters by showing how the electorate at the polls holds politicians accountable.

Full Product Details

9780268039790

Table of Contents

Reviews

Queirolo is at the top of her craft when it comes to debunking myths. The first important myth is the idea that the pink tide [the electoral success of parties on the left] was a novelty. . . . Queirolo shows that the region has had 'ideological cycles' in the past, and that the left was a previous favorite. . . The second set of myths Queirolo debunks is the idea that the current phase represents a rejections of the neoliberal policies predominant in the 1990s, or conversely, a sign of 'disadvantaged classes' rising politically, or something even simpler--a mere reflection of economic indicators. . . . Queirolo has offered one of the best explanations in the literature for the origins of all this pink. --The Americas, 72:4. October 2015

Queirolo is at the top of her craft when it comes to debunking myths. The first important myth is the idea that the pink tide [the electoral success of parties on the left] was a novelty. . . . Queirolo shows that the region has had 'ideological cycles' in the past, and that the left was a previous favorite. . . The second set of myths Queirolo debunks is the idea that the current phase represents a rejections of the neoliberal policies predominant in the 1990s, or conversely, a sign of 'disadvantaged classes' rising politically, or something even simpler--a mere reflection of economic indicators. . . . Queirolo has offered one of the best explanations in the literature for the origins of all this pink. --The Americas

Author Information

Rosario Queirolo is associate professor in the department of social and political science at Universidad Católica del Uruguay.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available