The Social Bases of the Vote for the Left in Ecuador 2002-2006: The Effects of Socioeconomic, Demographic and Regional Attributes of Places
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: The rise of the left and the emergence of indigenous political parties are the two most significant and unexpected developments in Latin American politics of the last two decades.Until recently, comparative political science and political sociology studies attributed these changes to a generalized reaction against neoliberal policies implemented in the continent since the end of the 1980s.However, recent research shows that reactions to market-oriented policies have been only moderate among Latin American voters.Studies show that there has been indeed an ideological shift among electorates, but one that could be best described as a move toward the left and not to the left.Nevertheless, left-leaning and socialist presidential candidates have consistently won elections since 1998 in various countries.Using the case of Ecuador, this thesis explores the social bases of this support for the left.While the vast majority of studies rely on public opinion data, this thesis addresses the question of what places have supported the left in greater proportions, analyzing voting distributions across sub-national units vis-à-vis aggregate level data about their socioeconomic, demographic and regional characteristics.In this study I use a unique dataset constructed using electoral information from the Ecuadorian National Electoral Council for the 2002 and 2006 election years, and socioeconomic and demographic information using the 2001 Ecuadorian Population Census.In this sense, this thesis offers a new perspective on the electoral success of the left in Ecuador, and iii provides empirical and theoretical insights to engage in broader discussions about the factors that structure people's voting behavior.Martin, have each had an important role in shaping this project.Cathy's rich understanding of Latin American politics allowed her to provide me with a sound critique of my arguments, which improved my discussion of the findings of this research.Andrew's seminar on social movements and the numerous conversations I had with him constituted a source of great inspiration for this and other research endeavors.I hope to pursue some of those ideas in the near future.Beyond their valuable academic contributions, Linda, Cathy and Andrew provided encouragement and genuinely human support throughout the entire process.
Author: Mauricio Rodríguez
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Ohio State University
OpenAlex ID: W2339672094