Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe author provides four painstakingly researched chapters offering historically rich narratives on the successes of the ARENA and UDI parties and the struggles of their Argentine and Guatemalan counterparts. This is comparative political science at its best. * Russell Crandall & Britta Crandall, Survival *
This is comparative political science at its best. * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *
Democracies need strong conservative parties. But in the modern era, strong conservative parties are hard to build. Loxton's book uncovers a surprising but important path to party-building. This is simply the best book on the Latin American Right that I have read. It makes a major contribution to our understanding of party-building, not only in Latin America but worldwide. Anyone interested in political parties should read it. * Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government, Harvard University *
Loxton patiently unveils the mechanisms of continuity in a subset of conservative parties that prospered paradoxically in democratic politics as unapologetic heirs of authoritarianism. His book is a counter-intuitive, masterfully-crafted, and field-defining study of conservative party development and Latin American politics. * Edward L. Gibson, Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University, and author of Class and Conservative Parties *
In this extraordinarily bold, original, and persuasive study, Loxton reckons with the uncomfortable conclusion that the most successful parties of the political right in contemporary Latin America grew out of the dictatorial past. Conservative Party-Building in Latin America sheds light not only on the Latin American right but also on the dynamics of party building more broadly. It is a study holding lessons that promise to withstand the test of time. * Wendy Hunter, Professor of Government, University of Texas, Austin *
This is an excellent book with a clear argument about how seemingly-defeated authoritarian political forces manage to survive and stay relevant after transitions to democracy. The book comes with a transparent, well-justified case selection. Loxton presents a wealth of historical data on parties that are understudied—this alone will provide readers with hard-to-find information on an important part of Latin America's party history. * Javier Corrales, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Amherst College and author of Fixing Democracy *
This book is a landmark not only in the study of party-building, but also in the study of authoritarianism's enduring legacies for democratic rule. Loxton provides an original and compelling explanation of variation in conservative party-building in Latin America, examining both successful and unsuccessful cases in Chile, El Salvador, Argentina, and Guatemala. His comparative insights demonstrate why conservative parties born under authoritarian regimes and forged in counterrevolutionary struggles inherit built-in organizational advantages that allow them to compete—and even return to power—in democratic settings. * Kenneth Roberts, Professor of Government, Cornell University *
Table of Contents1. Introduction: The Puzzle of Authoritarian Origins and Democratic Success 2. A Theory of Conservative Party-Building 3. UDI: From Military Dictatorship to Party-Building in Chile 4. UCEDE: Argentina's Long-Sought Mass Conservative Party? 5. ARENA: Death Squads and Democratic Success in El Salvador 6. PAN: Making Sense of a Political Suicide in Guatemala 7. Other Attempts at Conservative Party-Building in Latin America 8. Conclusion: Party-Building, Authoritarian Successor Parties, and Democracy
