The Political Transition in Latin American Countries – between Authoritarianism and Democracy

Abstract

The paper discusses some chosen, leading tendencies observed in the area of political relations and systems of exercising power in Latin America. The author attempts to analyze some specific features characteristic for the transforma-tions in the Latin American political systems. She takes into consideration main as-pects and conditions of the political transitions which are: the growing importance of elections, as well as durability and popularity of electoral democracy in that region; the extension of competences and reinforcement of the role of executive powers; the crisis of representative democracy; the decline of the importance and role of political parties and the parliament; the appearance of apolitical forms of leadership and new forms of expression of social interests. The paper ends up in a conclusion that Latin America enters a new phase of political advancement and attempts to find its own model of democracy.