Doesn’t have what it takes, from what I gather.

Excellent review by boz. By rejecting a call for a constituent assembly, Ecuador dodged a bullet. Noboa overreached; voters countered.

Another example that we are living in the pushback era, at least in Latin America.

Some thoughts on how backsliding democracies become repressive regimes

For the past 15 years, comparativists have said that we are living in the "democratic backsliding" era. I think we are entering a new era : "the pushback era." Pushback is the new motor of politics in many backsliding cases. As a profession, we need to focus more on it.

I use the case of Venezuela to explain why autocracies today are hard to unseat and why democracy is hard to establish after transitions. Maduro might not last, but his system could survive.

The White House may think this could be a military operation at a discount. I explain here https://t.co/eNlugb4yfj

Finally, I discuss how populism is impacting economic development: too many "errors" and "omissions." Consequently, the region cannot establish "inclusive economic institutions" (see Acemoglu and Robinson 2012) and escape the "middle income trap" (see World Bank 2024).

I then discuss how populism is impacting polarization in Latin America: less emphasis on economics, more emphasis on security (Guns), religion (Bible), and values (Patriarchy).

I begin by discussing how the rise of far-right populism in the United States is impacting the demand for more populism in Latin America. I use concepts like emulation, bandwagoning, and radicalization to make the point that populism can spread internationally.

Building on others, I argue that the region faces a "populism trap." Populism leads to democratic and economic underperformance, which then leads to greater demand for more populism.

New article: Populism and the Persistence of Latin America's Underperformance

Finally, I discuss how populism is impacting economic development: too many "errors" and "omissions." Consequently, the region cannot establish "inclusive economic institutions" (see Acemoglu and Robinson 2012) and escape the "middle income trap" (see World Bank 2024).

I then discuss how populism is impacting polarization in Latin America: less emphasis on economics, more emphasis on security (Guns), religion (Bible), and values (Patriarchy).

I begin by discussing how the rise of far-right populism in the United States is impacting the demand for more populism in Latin America. I use concepts like emulation, bandwagoning, and radicalization to make the point that populism can spread internationally.

Building on others, I argue that the region faces a "populism trap." Populism leads to democratic and economic underperformance, which then leads to greater demand for more populism.

U.S.relations with LatAm does not seem to be following realist precepts. Over investing in small economies Arg El Salvador Antagonizing strategic assets Bra Pan Mex Col And picking a military fight with a hard to defeat regime Ven

Some thoughts on U.S.-Venezuela relations and how we got to where we are.

We provide evidence that democratic backsliding can be slowed down, maybe stopped, if opposition parties avoid three pitfalls: 1) electoral collapse 2) extremism, and 3) splintering There’s hope for the US, maybe. Democratization: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access

Trump may still criticize the Nobel committee for not picking him, but one thing he cannot easily say, given his recent rehtoric, is that the committee doesn’t know how to pick winners. Smart move, Nobel committee.