The Effects of Political Party Shifts on Voter Turnout in Latin America

Abstract

Latin American countries have been making advances towards democratization over the past few decades. There has been an increase in the number of democracies in the region and as a result an increase in free elections. Many of these countries have taken constitutional steps to ensure the existence of democratic factors such as free electoral systems and competitive political party systems. It is striking, though, that some Latin American countries have experienced a considerable decrease in voter turnout. Existing literature suggests that institutional factors can provide an explanation for differences in voter turnout across countries. Yet, the institutions in many democratic Latin American countries are stabilizing; this account does not provide a satisfactory explanation for changing voter turnout within countries. Instead, I argue that the decrease in voter turnout may be the result of political factors, which may also be expressed in shifts in electoral strength between political parties. From observing political events, statistics, and case studies, I find a potential relationship between political parties and voter turnout. The research observes voter turnout, electoral systems, and political party systems for the Latin American region, and then focuses on Costa Rica and Mexico as case studies.

Notes

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by STARS for more information.

Thesis Completion

2004

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Hamann, Kerstin

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Program

Political Science

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences; Political parties -- Latin America; Voting -- Latin America

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021844

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS