Dominican Politics in the Twenty First Century

Continuity and Change

Jacqueline Jiménez Polanco, Ernesto Sagás

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• ISBN:
  9781000827675
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Global Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This collection examines the continuities and changes that have set the Dominican political system apart from its Latin American counterparts over the last couple of decades. Whereas traditional political parties have lost support throughout Latin America and electoral systems have devolved into illiberal democracies, Dominican democracy remains flawed but vibrant with a popular embrace of party politics.

Across eight chapters, a collection of subject experts argue that the Dominican case offers valuable lessons to understand that even though traditional political parties are endangered throughout the region, they are not going anywhere. The book analyzes topics including electoral politics, the quality of Dominican democracy, political parties, corruption, relations with Haiti and the United States, migration, the Dominican diaspora, gender and politics, social movements, and civil participation and citizenship, to reveal how the Dominican case proves that traditional political parties can adapt in order to survive, turning themselves into major sources of patronage, appealing to personalistic politics, and tinkering with the constitution in order to stay relevant.

Dominican Politics in the Twenty First Century will be a vital resource for understanding contemporary Dominican politics. It will appeal to political scientists, Latin Americanists, and students of democracy, comparative politics, and electoral politics in general.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Series Page
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures and Tables
• List of Contributors
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue: Reflections on Patterns of Change and Continuity in Dominican Politics
• Introduction: Revisiting Dominican Politics
• 1 The Transition and Consolidation of Democracy in the Dominican Republic: Continuities and Disruptions
• 2 Democracy, Continuismo, and Human Rights in the Dominican Republic
• 3 Distributive Politics: Clientelism and Social Expenditure in the Dominican Republic
• 4 The Odebrecht Fraud: An Analysis of Corruptive Practices in the PLD’s Cartel Politics
• 5 A New Expression of Dominicanidad: The Dominican ID Card, Technology, and Race
• 6 We Want to Be Counted Too: The Evolution of Dominican Overseas Voting, 2004–2020
• Conclusion: Continuity and Change in Dominican Politics—Comparative Perspectives
• Index