“Somos Autonomistas de Siempre” Public University Politics and the Negotiation of Autonomy in Bolivia (original) (raw)

Making or Breaking Politics: Social Conflicts and Partisan Realignment in Democratic Bolivia

This study explains why only some social conflicts translate into salient dimensions of partisan competition in Bolivia. The recent politicization of the regional autonomy movement represented a stark difference with how conflicts had impacted party politics in the past. The study argues that social conflicts became politically transformative thanks in part to the ruling party elite. Elected politicians addressed social conflicts according to their electoral interests and their capacity to act on those interests. The study makes this argument by situating the recent regional conflict within the country's longer history of mobilizational politics and fully specifying the range of strategies that ruling party elites employ in the face of social conflict. In explaining when and how social conflicts become politically transformative, the study highlights the remarkable agency of electorally motivated elites in emerging democratic regimes. WORKING DRAFT. PLEASE DO NOT CITE WITHOUT AUTHOR'S PERMISSION.

Ideological Vote and Electoral Performance of the Bolivian MAS, 2002–2014

Latin American Politics and Society, 2020

ABSTRACTSince 2005, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) has become a predominant party in the Bolivian party system. Despite its origin as a small, indigenous, and peasant-based party, the MAS has achieved an electoral performance unprecedented in Bolivian political history. What accounts for its electoral rise? Unlike available explanations based on sociostructural, institutional, or contextual factors, this article argues that ideological location decisions served as a signaling device that allowed the MAS to differentiate itself from its competitors. In so doing, the party managed to transcend the border of ethnic and regional cleavages, appealing to a broader electorate, which contributed decisively to its electoral success. Using data from public opinion surveys and based on statistical models, this article shows that ideology was pivotal in Bolivians’ decisions to vote for the MAS, particularly during the early period of its electoral takeoff.

Politics and Academia in Latin American Universities (review essay)

Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, 1983

Albornoz, Orlando. IDEOLOGiA Y POLÍTICA EN LA UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA. Caracas, Venezuela: Instituto Societas, 1972. Boeninger Kausel, Edgardo et al. DESARROLLO CIENTÍFICO -TECNOLOGICO Y UNIVERSIDAD. Santiago, Chile: Corporaci;n de Promoción Universitaria, 1973. Cunha, Luis Antonio. A UNIVERSIDADE TEMPORÃ. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Editora Civilização Brasileira S.A., 1980. Dooner, Patricia and Ivan Lavados [editoresJ LA UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA: VISION DE UNA DECADA. Santiago, Chile: Corporacion de Promocion Universitaria, 1979. Levy, Daniel. UNIVERSITY AND GOVERNMENT IN MEXICO: AUTONOMY IN AN AUTHORITARIAN STATE. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1980. Scherz Garcia, Luis. LA UNIVERSIDAD LATINOAMERICANA EN LA DECADA DEL 80. PROYECCIONES DEL DESARROLLO EN AMERICA LATIINA Y SU INCIDENCIA EN LA EDUCACION SUPERIOR. Santiago, Chile: Corporacion de Promoción Universitaria,, 1975.

Mixed-Member Election and Candidate Selection in Bolivia’s 1993 and 1997 Elections

The Latin Americanist, 2015

Mixed-member electoral systems became a popular choice for “electoral engineers” in the 1990s. Countries as diverse as Venezuela, Hungary, Lesotho, and Italy adopted the system. The assumption was that introducing single-member districts (SMDs) in countries that used list proportional representation electoral systems would introduce “constituency” oriented legislators who could be more easily held accountable to voters. This paper explores changes associated with the adoption of a mixed-member electoral system in Bolivia through a candidate-level analysis looking at differences in candidate profiles between two elections (1993 and 1997) and between two tiers (list and nominal). The paper relies on portion of a dataset (collected by the author) of Bolivian legislative candidates. The analysis shows mixed results: While SMD candidates were more likely to have municipal-level political experience, there was no significant difference in the kind of legislative committees list and SMD candidates had served in.

The Turbulent End of an Era in Bolivia: Contested Elections, the Ouster of Evo Morales, and the Beginning of a Transition Towards an Uncertain Future

Revista de Ciencia Política (RCP), 2020

In Bolivia, the year 2019 marks the end of an era: In November, after almost 14 years in power, Evo Morales was forced to prematurely leave the presidency and, shortly thereafter, also the country. This dramatic event was preceded by contentious elections, allegations of electoral fraud, massive post-electoral protests, and the switching of sides by the police and the military. Rather than pacifying the situation, Morales' resignation led to a further escalation of the conflict, involving violent clashes between protesters and security forces. In the end, however, a negotiated solution of the crisis was reached that enabled the controversial interim president Jeanine Áñez to call new elections. In an attempt to make sense of this remarkable chain of events, the article (1) summarizes key causes that have made the once invincible MAS government so vulnerable and (2) analyzes the October elections as well as the sociopolitical dynamics that unfolded afterwards with a focus on key controversies surrounding the elections (electoral fraud?) and the fall of Morales (a coup?). Finally, (3) the article briefly assesses the dynamics under the current interim government and looks at the forthcoming general elections, which are scheduled for 6 September 2020. En Bolivia, el año 2019 marca el fin de una era: En noviembre, tras casi 14 años en el poder, Evo Morales fue forzado a dejar prematuramente la presidencia y, poco después, también el país. Este acontecimiento dramático fue precedido por elecciones controvertidas, denuncias de fraude electoral, protestas postelectorales masivas y el cambio de bando de la policía y las Fuerzas Armadas. En lugar de calmar la situación, la renuncia de Morales provocó una nueva escalada del conflicto, con enfrentamientos violentos entre los manifestantes y las fuerzas de seguridad. Sin embargo, finalmente se llegó a una solución negociada de la crisis que permitió a la polémica presidenta interina Jeanine Áñez convocar nuevas elecciones. En un intento por entender esta extraordinaria cadena de acontecimientos, el artículo (1) resume las principales causas que han hecho tan vulnerable al otrora invencible gobierno del MAS y (2) analiza las elecciones de octubre así como la dinámica sociopolítica que se desarrolló después, centrándose en las principales controversias en torno a las elecciones (¿fraude electoral?) y la caída de Morales (¿golpe de estado?). Finalmente, (3) el artículo evalúa brevemente la dinámica bajo el actual gobierno interino y considera las próximas elecciones generales previstas para el 6 de septiembre de 2020.

Electoral Reform, Regional Cleavages, and Party System Stability in Bolivia

2009

This research note considers the effects of electoral system reform in Bolivia. In 1995, Bolivia moved from a list-proportional to a mixed- member proportional electoral system. The intervening years saw growing regional polarization of politics and a collapse of the existing party system. Using statistical analysis of disaggregated electoral data (at department, mu- nicipality, and district level), this paper tests whether electoral system re- forms may have contributed to the current political crisis. Research findings show that regional cleavages existed prior to electoral system reform, but suggest that reforms aggravated their effects. Such evidence gives reason to question the recent popularity of mixed-member proportionality.