A Surge to the Center
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Latin America
A SURGE TO THE CENTER
Michael Shifter
Michael Shifter is president of the Inter-American Dialogue in Wash-
ington, D.C., and adjunct professor ofLatin American studies at George-
town University. He is the editor (with Jorge I. Dominguez) of Con-
structing Democratic Governance in Latin America (3rd edition, 2008).
Latin America, long associated with sharp ideological swings and
notably erratic politics, is increasingly settling into the middle of the
left-right political continuum. This development is discernible in voter
attitudes and major policy directions in many countries. At times, the
rhetoric that political leaders employ and the ways in which they de-
scribe themselves can obscure this trend and give the impression that
ideology is more salient than it actually is. Although ideology still
dominates the political discourse and environment in some countries, a
careful examination of most approaches to economic, social, and secu-
rity challenges throughout the region reveals that the ideological range
within which policy is made has considerably narrowed. There is today
a greater measure of predictability and pragmatism.
This trend is not irreversible; it hinges on continued progress in a
variety of areas. Its implications for improving the quality of democ-
racy are generally positive, however. There is a growing focus in Latin
America on developing practical and realistic solutions to serious eco-
nomic and social problems-an approach to politics that tends to go
together with an embrace of the rules of the democratic game.
At the same time, however, democratic deficits remain considerable.
Too many Latin American countries are troubled by weak political insti-
tutions, inadequate judicial systems, stubbornly high levels of inequality,
and rampant organized crime and citizen insecurity.2 There are also clear
signs, especially among young people, of an undercurrent of discontent
with politics as usual-meaning especially the widespread practice of
cronyism-and a demand for serious efforts to tackle persistent corrup-
tion. These are warnings for the region's political leaders: In addition to
Journal of Democracy Volume 22, Number ] January 2011
© 2011 National Endowment for Democracy and The Johns Hopkins University Press](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/jnlodmcy22&div=12&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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A Surge to the Center
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