La consolidación democrática y la crisis de legitimidad de los sistemas de partidos en la América Latina de los noventa

Abstract

This paper evaluates some of the problems concerning the consolidation of democracy in our countries, mainly a very important aspect that has not been well discussed in the literature on the subject: the legitimacy of political party systems according to society. Focusing on the behavior of relevant actors and the rules of the game among them has neglected different expressions of social unsatisfaction which can provoke a crisis in the political party system: parties lose their ability for representing and mediating interests, and the development of uninstitutional and uncooperative behavior is encouraged in the actors, all of which erodes the possibilities of democratic consolidation. This crisis situation appears, overtly or covertly, in many of our countries; and it is the key element for understanding the differences in ways of handling the economic crisis and adjustment processes during the 80’s.