Controlling government through the ballot box: An analysis of the Argentine case from 1995-2005

Abstract

What makes political representation possible is that governments must periodically be held to account. If voters are not satisfied with their performance they may use elections to rid themselves of political leaders. However in the last fifteen years the role of elections as mechanisms for accountability has been reexamined, particularly in young democracies. Using data from Latinobarometer, this article analyses the case of Argentina between 1995 and 2005. The results confirm the existence of a retrospective vote throughout the period, with the exception of the 1997 elections, wherein an improvement in public perceptions of economic performance did not increase chances for the incumbent. The article confirms that the factors which define the general context in each election affect the impact of retrospective vote in at least three of the six electoral years analysed.