Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Cabinet Stability in Latin American Presidential Regimes

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This Doctoral Dissertation Research Support investigation examines the causes of cabinet instability in the presidential regimes of Latin America. The appointment of a president's cabinet and its subsequent performance generally get a high level of attention both from observers of current politics and from scholars. Notwithstanding the general perception that cabinet turnover is important in determining the outcomes of the policy making process, there has been little work done that discusses the causes of instability, that suggests theoretical arguments about the relationship between these factors and cabinet turnover, and that tests these arguments empirically in the context of presidential political systems. This project tackles these issues by proposing a theory that relates institutional features of the political environment and the rate of cabinet turnover in presidential regimes. The research has testable hypotheses and uses original data on cabinet changes to test them in 11 Latin American countries. This data set will contribute to the debate on cabinet stability by providing a means to measure different conceptions of turnover and relate these to the institutional context.