Making Sound Out of Fury: Using Vetoes for Posturing in Chile and in Mexico
52 Pages Posted: 7 May 2009
Date Written: August 15, 2001
Abstract
Two case histories of vetoes as publicity stunts are developed. In Chile president Frei forced the opposition from the right to frustrate labor reform for a second time; this occurred just days before the 1999 presidential election. In Mexico the opposition (incl. the PAN) prepared a bacon-ridden bill for the PRI to veto, either by the Senate or by the executive. The PRI-controlled Senate froze the bill just weeks before the 2000 presidential election. Immediately upon presidential inauguration the new opposition (incl. the PRI) passed the bill in the Senate to force a veto by the new president from the PAN. This reversal of roles is hard to interpret otherwise than as publicity.
Keywords: veto, position taking, separation of power
JEL Classification: D72, D74
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation