1. Global Comparative Politics (5)
Luca Verzichelli
University of Siena
Master Program
Public and Cultural Diplomacy (LM-81)

2. The Americas are second only to W
The Americas are second only to W. Europe in levels of freedom and respect for human rights (69% of population in Free countries).  Nonetheless, a rise in crime and in populist governments with authoritarian tendencies has led to backsliding in several countries.
Parts of the region suffer from  threats to freedom of the press, including violence against journalists, and infringements on freedoms of association and assembly.
Latin America (FH 2016)
Relevant case studies
Mexico: still low level of political liberties.
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Rep. : partially free
The case of Cuba
Another difficult case: Venezuela
Colombia, Equador, Bolivia, Paraguay

3. Features of the Brazilian political System
Presidential regime. President combines presidential and Chief Executive powers (i.e. emergency decrees)
Typical bicameral parliamentary structure
Strong federalism (but temperated by political conditions)
Autonomous Judiciary

5. Democratization in Latin America. A time line
Myth of the Presidential system: US political heritage and contagion effect
Myth of the (supra)national revolution: Bolivarismo and contagion effect
Role of military elites

6. Modes of Transition to democracy in Latin America (Karl 1990)
There is no evidence of a «stable» mode of democracy. Most of the newly emergent civilian or militarized civilian regimes faced the problem of survivability.
However, the pactismo seems to consolidate acceptable democratic relationships
Other regimes have recently consolidated democratic institutions moving from military rules

7. Democracy in Africa today
According to FH, only 5% of population in the MENA area in free regimes
12% of population in the Sub-Saharian Africa are in free regimes
Failure of democratization in the MENA countries. Only exception: Tunisia.
Senegal, Ghana and Benin: democratic stability
Persistence of democratic conditions in the Southern area: Namibia, Botswana and South Africa

8. Spread of Presidentialism in Africa (Blondel 2015)
The majority of African states have approached the presidential model. Why?
US influence in large and federal states
Semi-presidential influence in post- French Colonies
4 differences with the Latin american presidentialism:
More semi-presidential than presidential
Different executives
Nature of the leaderships: not caudillos but national founders
Different role of bureacratic bodies and military elites
As a result. Similarity of institutional setting but very different impacts

9. Nigeria: difficult reconsolidation
A good proxy of the post-colonial transformation in Africa
Independence after the formation of national and pro-African movements (1960).
Different experiences of quasi-democracy and authoritarianisms (1970s-1980s)
New democratic transition (late 1990s) with several stress tests (Obasanjio tempted coupe in 2007, Riots after the election of Goodluck Jonhatan in 2011).
Radical Islam presence (specially in the North)

10. Political Institutions in Nigeria
Presidential system with separation of power. Federalism
Independently elected president and a bicameral Federal National Assembly
Governors and single-house legislatures at the state level.

11. South Africa A Completely different process
Democratic conditions but «Western exceptionalism» (apharteid democracy)
A process of civil rights liberation leading to a predominant party
Charismatic leadership of Mandela

12. Political institutions in Africa
A presidential structure but «less presidential» than other Africal democracies
A non-completed Federal state: regionalism with strong administrative centralization
Traditional relevance of parliamentary coalition majority. After the death of Mandela, the first ANC single-party government
Bicameral structure with asimmetric powers