Comparative Politics from a Latin American Perspective

Latin America offers a uniquely diverse and dynamic landscape for understanding the evolution of democracy, political institutions, and citizen engagement. The region has long served as a testing ground for political theories developed elsewhere, yet its own experiences provide critical insights that challenge Eurocentric paradigms and enrich global debates in political science. This section aims to reposition Latin America not merely as an object of study but as a source of theoretical innovation, comparative reflection, and methodological pluralism. We invite scholars to explore how concepts and frameworks developed in or through the study of Latin America can contribute to global discussions on democracy, political representation, and governance. In doing so, the section seeks to bridge Latin American and European perspectives, fostering comparative analyses that reveal both shared challenges and region-specific dynamics. The section encourages dialogue across subfields of Latin American politics, bringing together work on: - Party systems and institutions, including processes of institutional change and party system adaptation; - Extremism and polarization, and their implications for democratic resilience; - Gender and intersectionality, including feminist and anti-feminist mobilizations; - Democratic innovations, participatory reforms, and civic engagement; - Presidentialism and executive–legislative relations; - Autocratization, democratic erosion, and citizen resistance; - Social policy, welfare regimes, and redistributive politics; and - Populism, leadership, and political communication. We particularly welcome contributions that: - Compare Latin American experiences with those of Europe and other regions; - Revisit classic theories of democracy, institutions, and participation through a Latin American lens; - Address methodological and epistemological questions about knowledge production beyond the Global North; and - Promote collaboration between scholars based in Latin America and Europe. This section thus seeks to serve as a meeting point for diverse perspectives on Latin American politics, encouraging conceptual, empirical, and comparative work that foregrounds the region’s capacity to reshape global theoretical agendas. We invite panel proposals that ensure diversity in gender, career stage, and institutional affiliation. All-male panels will not be considered. Tentative Panels: 1. Evolving Cleavages, Party Systems, and Patterns of Representation in Latin America Chair: Simon Bornschier (University of Zurich) 2. Extremism, Polarization, and Democratic Resilience Chair: Carlos Meléndez (University of Lisbon) 3. Gender, Feminism, and Antifeminism in Latin American Politics Chair: Daniela Osorio (GIGA Institute) 4. Democratic Innovations and Participatory Reforms Chair: Melisa Ross (University of Bremen) 5. Presidentialism and Executive Power in Comparative Perspective Chair: Mariana Llanos (GIGA Istitute) 6. Autocratization and Resistance in the Global South Chair: Talita Tanscheit (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro) 7. Social Policy, Inequality, and Welfare Regimes Chair: Emilia Simison (Queen Mary University of London) 8. Populism and Leadership: Insights from Latin America for Global Theory Chair: Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser (Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile) 9. Rethinking Comparative Politics: Decolonial and Epistemic Perspectives from Latin America Chair: Diana D'Avila Gordillo (University of Leiden) 10. Concepts and Attitudes towards Democracy and Authoritarianism Chair: Javier Sajuria (Queen Mary University of London)