Autocracy vs. Democracy: Political Regimes and Punctuated Equilibrium in Brazil

Public Deposited
Analytics

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Request Version for Screen Reader
Last Modified
  • March 19, 2019
Creator
  • Rey, Beatriz
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science
Abstract
  • I test the punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) developed by Jones and Baumgartner (2005) in the context of authoritarianism and democracy in Latin America. By analyzing public budgeting in Brazil, I find evidence that supports the PET. In both political regimes, there is a combination of policy stability and policy punctuations, implying that the distinction between authoritarianism and democracy is not fundamental for understanding budget allocation in Latin America. I find that the level of proportionality in governmental response in authoritarian regimes is greater than in democracies and that proportionality is substantially lower in democracies when centrist ideology and severe economic constraints lead policymakers to develop a narrower set of goals. Once severe economic constraints decrease and a left-wing political party assumes power, the level of proportionality increases. Nevertheless, I find that the level of proportionality can be at best medium because of policymakers' limited attention to all issues.
Date of publication
Keyword
Subject
DOI
Identifier
Resource type
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Roberston, Graeme
  • Huber, Evelyne
  • Baumgartner, Frank
Degree
  • Master of Arts
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Graduation year
  • 2014
Language
Publisher
Place of publication
  • Chapel Hill, NC
Access right
  • There are no restrictions to this item.
Date uploaded
  • April 22, 2015

Relations

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details Rey_unc_0153M_14746.pdf 2019-04-11 Public Download