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Executive Assaults and the Social Foundations of Democracy in Ecuador

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

William T. Barndt
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Abstract

Although Ecuadorian presidents tolerate most opposition voices most of the time, they routinely try to restrict the basic political liberties of particular critics. In doing so, they initiate executive assaults. Why do some of these executive assaults succeed while others fail? This article analyzes patterns of support for and opposition to publicly contested assaults in Ecuador between 1979 and 2004. Using a combination of statistical tests and a case study, it develops an argument based on the relative power of different types of organizations and associations to influence the outcomes of assault conflicts. The analysis demonstrates that executive assaults fail only when neither the state security forces nor the business sector supports them. In this situation, particular business organizations are able to force presidents to back down. The analysis provides new insights into the social foundations of democratic practice in Ecuador, and Latin America more broadly.

Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Politics and Society , Volume 52 , Issue 1 , Spring 2010 , pp. 121 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 2010

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