The Politics of Polarized Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America is the world region with the highest social inequalities. The panel will explore how the resulting fragmentation and polarization of society is shaping the region’s politics.
While Latin America’s wave of democratization in the 1980s and 1990s established pluralist political arenas, in many countries we have seen an erosion of democratic values, practices and institutions. These include an encroachment on the independence of the judiciary or electoral institutions; the rise of right-wing populist or extremist leaders with authoritarian agendas; and also see left-wing leaders failing to respect the constitutional restrictions on their mandates or the integrity of the electoral process. Core democratic tenets such as the rule of law are also threatened by violence from transnational organized crime or other illegitimate powerholders. Authoritarian practices seem to thrive on political and social polarization. At the same time, progressive actors and civil society organizations mobilize not only to defend but also to expand social rights and democratic gains.
The panel invites papers who address these and related issues from diverse angles and different geographic realities. We seek contributions who combine solid empirical research with reflections on theoretical concepts and/or comparative perspectives. Preference will be given to papers whose themes or approaches promise original findings that go beyond our conventional understanding of the processes at question.