The Failed Invigoration of Argentina's Constitution: Presidential Omnipotence, Repression, Instability, and Lawlessness in Argentine History
68 Pages Posted: 15 Oct 2013 Last revised: 26 Sep 2014
Date Written: 2008
Abstract
Argentina's constitution dates back to 1853 and has rarely been formally suspended. Nevertheless, constitutionalism has almost never existed in Argentina, as virtually each government's power exceeded the strictures of the constitution. Presidential omnipotence, state violence, political instability, the absence of the rule of law, and political clientelism have been recurrent problems throughout Argentine history. Peronism, a quintessential Argentine movement, has likewise hindered constitutionalism. The article explores historical, legal, political, and sociological factors behind the failed invigoration of Argentina's constitution.
Keywords: Argentina, constitutionalism, comparative law, rule of law, political clientelism, political instability, state violence, authoritarianism, history, political science, Peronism, Peron
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