The Role of Interests, Power Groups and Interest Groups in Consolidating Latin American Democracy: A Framework for Analysis.

Is a viable system of interest groups essential to the consolidation of Latin American democracy? The argument in this paper is that it is essential even in the qualifiedâ€"non-liberal democraticâ€"forms (electoral, presidential, etc.) of democracy that has emerged in the region, particularly since the mid-1980s. .x000d..x000d.This paper draws on work on all Latin American countries with original research from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. By applying an analytical framework, it identifies a wide-range of contemporary success of the establishment of independent, institutionalized interest group systems. Then, the paper assesses how interest groups, and the role of so-called power groups, have advanced or hindered the prospects for consolidating democracy in particular countries..x000d..x000d.However, the study of the region’s interest group systems cannot be achieved by simply applying the theories used in liberal democraciesâ€"such as pluralism and neo-corporatismâ€"to the Latin American case. It must be based upon a synthesis of this theory with aspects of Latin American political development and interest activity including the corporatist tradition past and present, elitism and low levels of political efficacy. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]