Stability or denationalization? The nationalization of party systems in Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay (1982-2019)

Uma análise comparada de Brasil, Chile, Paraguai e Uruguai (1982-2019)

Abstract

This article analyzes and compares the electoral nationalization of the party systems of four Latin American countries (Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) between 1982 and 2019. To carry out this work, I used data referring to state (provincial) elections for federal (national) deputies and the Party System Nationalization Score weight (PSNSw) index, which measures the homogeneity of electoral support of parties across national territories. The study of nationalization is old and, for a long time, it occupied a secondary space in party studies, however, in the last decades, it has gained more and more space, mainly in comparative studies. Nationalization can involve two distinct processes. The first is the construction of national parties and party systems to replace regional parties and systems. The second argues that nationalization refers to the uniformity of electoral support for parties in the districts. In this work, I work only with the second strand. As a result, the article demonstrates that the party systems studied are going through a phase of denationalization, generated by cyclical issues, changes in legislation, the accommodation of parties in the party system or the emergence of new parties that alter the dynamics of the party system.