Between 1979 and 2017, seventeen Latin American presidents have not been able to complete their constitutional terms in office. This article explores the main causes of "failed" presidencies, that is, those cases in which a popularly elected chiefexecutive is forced from office without affecting the democratic order. To do this, we closely examine three presidencies in Argentina (Raúl Alfonsín, Carlos Menem and Fernando de la Rúa), one of the countries with recurring incidences of presidential failure. We find that legislative support plays a pivotal role when it comes to "surviving" in office since it potentially shields the president from the impact of economic crisis, political scandals and social mobilizations.
Keywords:
presidential failure, presidential survival, government crisis, Argentina
Author Biography
Christopher A. Martínez, Universidad Católica de Temuco
Ph.D. Profesor asistente del Departamento de Sociología y Ciencia Política, Universidad Católica de Temuco
Martínez, C. A. (2017). “Surviving” the Argentine Presidency, 1983-2001. Estudios Internacionales, 49(186), Pág. 91–118. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-3769.2017.45219
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