Party discipline is an area that has received considerable attention in the party cohesion literature. While existing comparative research has predominantly focused on the institutional environment that impacts party discipline, we know less about its relationship with party-related variables. In this article, we explore the effect of party ideology on legislators’ perceptions of party discipline in Latin America. The difficulties for parliamentary groups to act cohesively in Latin America make party discipline and its study a major task. We argue that party ideology shapes the perceptions of legislators vis-à-vis their relative autonomy and the resulting ability of the party to be cohesive. To perform the analysis, we have constructed a database containing the responses of 1272 parliamentarians from 71 political parties in 17 countries across the 2011–2022 legislatures. In addition to party-related variables, we have included individual- and system-level variables. The results suggest that Latin American parliamentarians belonging to left-wing parties tend to conform to party discipline more frequently than those of the right wing.
Aguilar RiveraJA (2013) Latin American Political Ideologies. In: FreedenMStearsM (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Political Ideologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.583–606.
2.
AlcántaraM (ed.) (2008) Politicians and Politics in Latin America. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
3.
AlemánETsebelisG (eds) (2016) Legislative Institutions and Lawmaking in Latin America. New York: Oxford University Press.
4.
Amorim NetoO (2002) The Puzzle of Party Discipline in Brazil. Latin American Politics and Society44 (1): 127–144.
5.
AndewegRBThomassenJJA (2005) Modes of Political Representation: Toward a New Typology. Legislative Studies Quarterly30 (4): 507–528.
6.
AnriaSChambers-JuC (2019) Parties and Non-State Actors in Latin America. Oxford: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics.
7.
ArnsonCJPeralesJR (eds) (2007) The ‘New Left’ and Democratic Governance in Latin America. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
8.
AustinPCMerloJ (2017) Intermediate and Advanced Topics in Multilevel Logistic Regression Analysis. Statistics in Medicine36 (20): 3257–3277.
9.
BarnesT (2012) Gender and Legislative Preferences: Evidence from the Argentine Provinces. Politics & Gender8 (4): 483–507.
10.
BobbioN (1996) Left and Right: The Significance of a Political Distinction. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
11.
BowlerSFarrellDKatzRS (eds) (1999) Party Discipline and Parliamentary Government. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University.
12.
Campos-ParraHNaviaP (2022) La cohesión legislativa en la cámara más valorada: el caso del senado de Chile, 1990–2018. América Latina Hoy90: 1–20.
13.
CannonB (2016) The Right in Latin America. Elite Power, Hegemony and the Struggle for the State. New York and London: Routledge.
14.
CareyJ M (2003) Discipline, Accountability, and Legislative Voting in Latin America. Comparative Politics35 (2): 191–211.
15.
CareyJ (2007) Competing Principals, Political Institutions, and Party Unity in Legislative Voting. American Journal of Political Science51 (1): 92–107.
16.
CareyJ (2009) Legislative Voting and Accountability. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
17.
CarrBEllnerS (eds) (1993) The Latin American Left: From the Fall of Allende to Perestroika. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
18.
Chaves JuccaI (2022) Explaining the Puzzle of Weak Parties With Strong Legislative Leaders in Brazil: Towards a Theory of Clientelistic Party Discipline. PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
19.
CheibubJ (2012 [2006]) Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
20.
ClaytonAZetterbergP (2021) Gender and Party Discipline: Evidence from Africa’s Emerging Party Systems. American Political Science Review115 (3): 869–884.
21.
CloseC (2018) Parliamentary Party Loyalty and Party Family. The Missing Link?Party Politics24 (2): 209–219.
22.
CloseCNuñezL (2016) At the Root of Parliamentary Party Cohesion: The Role of Intraparty Heterogeneity and Party Ideology. Cahiers du CEVIPOL/Brussels Working Papers1: 1–29.
23.
CowleyPChildsS (2003) Too Spineless to Rebel? New Labour’s Women MPs. British Journal of Political Science33 (3): 345–365.
24.
CoxGWMcCubbinsMD (2005) Setting the Agenda: Responsible Party Government in the U.S. House of Representatives. New York: Cambridge University Press.
25.
CyrJ (2017) The Fates of Political Parties: Institutional Crisis, Continuity, and Change in Latin America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
26.
CyrJLiendoN (2020) Party Change and Adaptation in Latin America. In: ThompsonWR (ed.) Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.1–29.
27.
DavilaDWylieK (2021) Party Leadership and Institutionalization in Latin America. In: ThompsonWR (ed.) Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1667.
28.
DepauwSMartinS (2009) Legislative Party Discipline and Cohesion in Comparative Perspective. In: GiannettiDBenoitK (eds) Intra-Party Politics and Coalition Governments. New York: Taylor & Francis, pp.103–120.
29.
DesposatoSW (2005) Correcting for Small Group Inflation of Roll-Call Cohesion Scores. British Journal of Political Science35 (4): 731–744.
30.
EulauHWahlkeJCBuchananW, et al. (1959) The Role of the Representative: Some Empirical Observations on the Theory of Edmund Burke. American Political Science Review53 (3): 742–756.
31.
GaujaA (2013) The Politics of Party Policy: From Members to Legislators. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
32.
GherghinaSChiruM (2014) Determinants of Legislative Voting Loyalty under Different Electoral Systems. International Political Science Review35 (5): 523–541.
33.
GonzálezM (2014) Communism in Latin America. In: SmithS A (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of the History of Communism. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 252–267.
34.
HawkinsKMorgensternS (2010) Ideological Cohesion of Political Parties in Latin America. In KitscheltHHawkinsKALunaJP, et al. (eds) Latin American Party Systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.145–168.
35.
HazanRY (2013) Cohesion and Discipline in Legislatures. London: Routledge.
36.
HoxJJ (2010) Multilevel Analysis, Techniques and Applications. London: Routledge.
37.
Itzkovitch-MalkaRHazanR (2017) Unpacking Party Unity: The Combined Effects of Electoral Systems and Candidate Selection Methods on Legislative Attitudes and Behavioural Norms. Political Studies65 (2): 452–474.
38.
KamCJ (2009) Party Discipline and Parliamentary Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
39.
KerneckerT (2017) Ambition as a Micro-foundation of Party Loyalty. Party Politics23 (5): 538–548.
40.
KerneckerTWagnerM (2019) Niche Parties in Latin America. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties29 (1): 102–124.
41.
KitscheltHHawkinsKALunaJP, et al. (eds) (2010) Latin American Party Systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
42.
LevitskySRWayLA (2012) Beyond Patronage: Violent Struggle, Ruling Party Cohesion, and Authoritarian Durability. Perspectives on Politics10 (4): 869–889.
43.
LittleCFarrellDM (2017) Party Organisation and Party Unity. In ScarrowSWebbPDPoguntkeT (eds) Organizing Political Parties: Representation, Participation, and Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.285–306.
44.
LondreganJB (2000) Legislative Institutions and Ideology in Chile. New York: Cambridge University Press.
45.
LoxtonJ (2021) Conservative Party-building in Latin America: Authoritarian Inheritance and Counterrevolutionary Struggle. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
46.
LührmannADüpontNHigashijimaM, et al. (2020) Varieties of Party Identity and Organisation (V-party) Dataset V1. Varieties of Democracy (V-dem) Project. Available at: https://doi.org/10.23696/vpartydsv1(accessed on 28 September 2022).
47.
LunaJPRodríguezRPRosenblattF, et al. (2021) Political Parties, Diminished Subtypes, and Democracy. Party Politics27 (2): 294–307.
48.
LupuNSeliosLWarnerZ (2017) A New Measure of Congruence: The Earth Mover’s Distance. Political Analysis25 (1): 95–113.
49.
MainwaringSScullyTR (2003) Christian Democracy in Latin America: Electoral Competition and Regime Conflicts. Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press.
50.
MainwaringS (ed.) (2018) Party Systems in Latin America: Institutionalization, Decay, and Collapse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
51.
MaravallJM (2003) El control de los políticos. Madrid: Taurus.
52.
MiddlebrookKJ (ed.) (2000) Conservative Parties, the Right, and Democracy in Latin America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
53.
MorgensternS (2004) Patterns of Legislative Politics: Roll Call Voting in the Latin America and the United States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
54.
NortonNH (1999) Uncovering the Dimensionality of Gender Voting in Congress. Legislative Studies Quarterly24: 65–86.
55.
Otero-FelipePRuiz RodríguezLM (2022) Internal Unity and Ideological Orientation in Latin American Parties (1993–2020). Czech Journal of Political Science1: 50–70.
56.
OwensJE (2003) Part 1: Cohesion. The Journal of Legislative Studies9 (4): 12–40.
Ruth-LovellSP (2016) Clientelism and the Utility of the Left-Right Dimension in Latin America. Latin American Politics and Society58 (1): 72–97.
59.
Shair-RosenfieldSSchakelAHNiedzwieckiS, et al. (2021) Language Difference and Regional Authority. Regional & Federal Studies31 (1): 73–97.
60.
SiebererU (2006) Party Unity in Parliamentary Democracies: A Comparative Analysis. The Journal of Legislative Studies12 (2): 150–178.
61.
SingerM (2016) Elite Polarisation and the Electoral Impact of Left-Right Placements. Evidence from Latin America, 1995–2009. Latin American Research Review51 (2): 174–194.
62.
SommetNMorselliD (2017) Keep Calm and Learn Multilevel Logistic Modeling: A Simplified Three-Step Procedure Using Stata, R, Mplus, and SPSS. International Review of Social Psychology30 (1): 203–218.
63.
SteckerC (2015) How Effects on Party Unity Vary Across Votes. Party Politics21 (5): 791–802.
64.
SuYPFonsecaFA (2021) Explaining the Party Unity of Governing Parties in Mexico. Revista de Ciencia Política41 (3): 515–537.
65.
SudulichLTrummSBridgewaterJ (2020) Parliamentary Representation: A Cross-National Study of Candidates’ Views. Parliamentary Affairs73 (3): 522–542.
66.
Van DyckB (2017) The Paradox of Adversity: The Contrasting Fates of Latin America’s New Left Parties. Comparative Politics49 (2): 169–189.
67.
Van VonnoCMMalkaRIDepauwS, et al. (2014) Agreement, Loyalty, and Discipline: A Sequential Approach to Party Unity. In: DeschouwerKDepauwS (eds) Representing the People: A Survey Among Members of Statewide and Substate Parliaments. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.110–136.
68.
VolpiE (2019) Ideology and Party Switching: A Comparison of 12 West European Countries. Parliamentary Affairs72: 1–20.
69.
WebberJ (2022) Rhythms of the Left in Latin America. NACLA Report on the Americas54 (2): 155–166.
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
