The 2015 Subnational Elections in Argentina: Stability with Change

Abstract

The paper explores the main features of the long electoral year that took place in Argentina during 2015. It aims to demonstrate that the main feature of the electoral process was not so much the magnitude of the political change in the subnational level, but the relevance of the electoral outcomes in a few districts for national politics. The paper focuses on subnational elections but with a relational analysis that constantly considers the presidential race, without which any subnational politics’ analysis would be insufficient. For this purpose the main characteristics of Argentina’s complex electoral federalism are presented. Especial attention is paid to the dynamics of the splitting of the electoral calendar, one of the major challenges for the vertical coordination of the elites and the electorate. Next, a brief description of the provincial political systems are made, by employing a set of party systems’ indicators. Afterwards, a characterization of the electoral year is made, taking into account the main four subnational landmarks of the year. Finally, the paper briefly concludes by emphasizing the centrality of the provinces of the core agro productive area in the definition of national politics.