Democratic Governance

In recent years, the state of democratic governance in Latin America has been decidedly mixed. Discussion has turned away from elections and the leftward swings in several countries. Electoral contests are increasingly a matter of routine, and ideology has become notably less salient. The debate now centers on how leaders and institutions confront the complicated tasks of managing their economic and social affairs while representing heterogeneous societies with heightened demands and expectations.

The Inter-American Dialogue closely monitors the state of democratic governance and the rule of law in the countries of the Western Hemisphere. Our analysis, reports, and exchanges serve to encourage compliance with regional and international democratic commitments. In recent years, the Dialogue has placed emphasis on elections, press freedom, public opinion within Latin America’s growing middle class, and the implications of political shifts.


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Press Mentions See all

El pueblo argentino tiró una moneda al aire y el desenlace está por verse. [Habrá que ver si priman] las propuestas más antiderechos [de la campaña electoral de Javier Milei o] la versión más moderada que presentó en su discurso del domingo. El gobierno de Estados Unidos debe mantenerse alerta para ver cómo cae la moneda porque de ello dependerá el futuro de la relación con Argentina, que aún no se ha definido.