Guatemala's Party Universe: A Case Study in Underinstitutionalization

Abstract

The article examines the degree of institutionalization of the Guatemalan party universe across four areas: the pattern of inter‐party competition; the rootedness of parties in society; the legitimacy accorded to parties and democratic institutions; and the nature of internal party organization. Guatemala displays an extremely inchoate party structure across all these variables. There is no stability in the identity of the main parties in the polity. After more than two decades of electoral democracy, no single party has been able to avert a drift into electoral irrelevance or outright disappearance. With respect to the basic facets of internal party organization, Guatemalan parties exhibit a feebleness so pronounced that their very status as parties is questionable. In general, Guatemalan “parties” only fulfill Sartori's minimalist definition as organizations that field candidates for public office, but offer nothing more substantive.

Carrots and sticks: Experimental evidence of vote-buying and voter intimidation in Guatemala

“…Analysts agree that Guatemalan parties have lost their ability to mediate social demands and effectively organize political competition. Despite two decades of uninterrupted democracy, the political scene constantly sees the emergence of new personalistic parties, which disappear shortly after as their founders lose voters' trust (Seligson 2005;Sánchez 2008;Brolo 2013). Party identification is extremely low (LAPOP 2012), and incumbent parties often fail to win re-election (ASIES 2013).…”

Ethnic Politics in Ranked and Unranked Systems: An Exploratory Analysis

“…64 The leftist New Guatemala Democratic Front (FDNG), in particular, appealed to indigenous voters, eventually placing third in the polls overall with 7.7% of the presidential vote. 65 A leftist coalition of peasant, indigenous, and student groups, with unions and human rights organizations, the FDNG highlighted a central role for the indigenous in politics. "The hope of a democratic left is reemerging," its presidential candidate noted, "but with a new ingredient: the participation of the Mayan people.…”

Les conseils communautaires de développement (COCODE)

“…Manquant de cohérence idéologique et d'une inscription forte dans la société, les partis politiques au Guatemala restent ainsi un épiphénomène, des instruments au service d'autres acteurs dessinant le paysage politique du pays (armée, entreprises, organisations criminelles, etc.) (Sanchez 2008). Les partis politiques n'existent dès lors que comme une façade démocratique dont le bâtiment n'aurait jamais été occupé, mais que personne ne se résoudrait à démolir.…”