Attacks on the Political Opposition: On the Decline of Liberal Democratic Representation

This article argues, based on the Argentine case, that radical political polarization deteriorates democratic representation by weakening oppositions as viable alternatives. Govern ments spend enormous resources delegitimizing oppositions, thereby blocking the circulation of elites within government...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Russo, Juan
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Universidad Nacional de Rosario 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://relasp.unr.edu.ar/index.php/revista/article/view/160
Aporte de:
Descripción
Sumario:This article argues, based on the Argentine case, that radical political polarization deteriorates democratic representation by weakening oppositions as viable alternatives. Govern ments spend enormous resources delegitimizing oppositions, thereby blocking the circulation of elites within government, alienating voters not only from the government but also from potential replacements. The cost of policies focused on discrediting the opposition is, on the one hand, gover nmental ineffectiveness and, on the other, the deterioration of democratic representation, since the legitimization of the opposition is the essential and distinctive feature of political representation in mass liberal democracies