An Assessment of the Effects of Corruption, Violence, and Populism on the Democratic Consolidation and Legitimacy of Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia
Open Access DepositedDemocratic consolidation is a highly contested and debated issue in Latin America, as many understand democracies in Latin America as weak or unstable. Often, scholars explain this weakness or instability as an effect of the historical turmoil in the democratic foundations of most, if not all, the countries in the region, the rampant violence in the region, or the incredibly high levels of corruption in the area. In this paper, I argue that all three explanationsare valuable and that, in addition, we must consider the rise of populism in the region. This paper will proceed on the side of nuance, understanding that when it comes to politics, especially politics in Latin America, speaking in absolutes is detrimental to the rhetoric and impedes the accurate and unbiased assessment of a topic or challenge. Additionally, this paper will focus on the democratic journeys of Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico to assess how democracy is weakening in three of the region's most relevant and influential countries. To provide this assessment, I use an exploratory evaluation utilizing personally-developed indicators to understand the robustness, durability, and adaptability of the democracies and democratic consolidation of Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. Analyzing how corruption, violence, and populism are weakening democracy and undermining the process of democratic consolidation in these three countries will provide an idea of how the region is moving forward in matters of democratic processes and what the challenges are moving forward, not only for these three countries but for Latin America.
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