Cabinet Politics in Latin America

Abstract

The literature on presidential cabinets has made important advances over the last few years, especially in relation to cabinet formation. However, the focus remains on the aggregate level and we still know little about the individuals that compose these cabinets. Who are the ministers? What are their competences? What is their liaison with the president like and what is their external support? How do all these aspects evolve after cabinet formation? To face these questions, this panel welcomes papers that study Latin American ministers on one of the following dimensions. (I) Political affiliation and group support. The recent literature has shown the role of party affiliation on cabinet formation and legislative support. We suggest advancing the identification of non-party affiliations and the evolution of political affiliation during the life cycle of cabinets. (II) Individual trajectories and competences. The common expectation is that ministers should be particularly skilled for the position. We are interested in knowing the type and level of minister competences. (III) The relationship with the president. The president's inner circle is considered a key component of the presidential decision making process. We suggest studying the relationship between this circle and the whole cabinet, identifying ministers that take part of it, modalities of entry/exit, and decision-making dynamics.

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