Working Paper No.76
The Political Economy of Anti-Politics and Social
Polarisation
in Venezuela, 1998-2004
Jonathan DiJohn
Crisis States Research Centre
December 2005
This paper examines the decline of party politics in Latin
America during the past two decades and the corresponding rise in what can be
termed "anti-politics". It looks at populist leaders
who appeal directly to the people and challenge existing political classes and
parties. The author considers in particular the case of Venezuela, since the
landslide victory of Hugo Chavez Frias in the 1998 presidential elections.
The paper concludes
that the return of party politics in Venezuela seems remote at
present. Without an increase in the size and productivity of the
formal economy, the author believes it is unlikely that the material base of
meaningful party politics will re-emerge in the foreseeable future.
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