Legislator Success in Fragmented Congresses in Argentina: Plurality Cartels, Minority Presidents, and Lawmaking

239 Pages·2014·6.63 MB·English

by  Calvo

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Legislator Success in Fragmented
Congresses in Argentina
Plurality Cartels, Minority Presidents,
and Lawmaking
ERNESTO CALVO
University of Maryland
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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©Ernesto Calvo 2014
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First published 2014
First paperback edition 2017
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Calvo, Ernesto.
Legislator success in fragmented congresses in Argentina : plurality cartels, minority
presidents, and lawmaking I Ernesto Calvo.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-107-06513-0 (Hardback) -ISBN 978-1-107-67667-1 (Paperback)
Argentina. Congreso de la Nación. 2. Legislative power-Argentina
r.
3. Representativc government and representation-Argentina. 4. Argentina­
Politics and government-2002-· s. Uruguay. Asamblea General. 6. Legisla tive
power-Uruguay. 7. Uruguay-Politics and government-198 5- 8. Representa tive
government and representation-Uruguary. I. Title.
' JL2054.c28 2014
328.82-dc23 2013046405
ISBN 978-1-107-06513-0 Hardback
ISBN 978-1-107-67667-1 Paperback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or
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For Isabel/a, Camilo, and Violeta

Contents
List of figures pageix
List of tables
XI
Preface
XIII
I Plurality parties, plurality cartels, and legislative success I
PART 1 PLURALITY CARTELS AND LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS
2 Party blocs, committee authorities, and plurality cartels:
the Argentine Congress as an institution driven by consent 3I
3 A statistical model of legislative success 52
PART II LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS AND THE SEQUENTIAL
ORGANIZATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
4 Electoral institutions and legislative fragmentation in Argentina:
an overv1ew 6 5
5 Legislator success and the committee system in the Argentine House 84
6 On the plenary floor: special motions, vanishing quorum, and the
amendment of the plenary schedule II2
7 Legislative success �nd legislative productivity in a divided congress I29
PART III BEYOND PLURALITY CARTELS
8 The determinants of the president's legisla tive success I4 5
9 Plurality-led congresses with limited gatekeeping authority:
the House of Representatives of Uruguay I67
Vll
Contents
VIU
10 Concluding remarks: plurality-led congresses as a research
agenda
References 199
Index 2II