Patronage, Corruption, and Political Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1880--1916

This dissertation studies the evolving actions and traditions that shaped the political culture of fin-de-siecle Buenos Aires at a crucial period of nation-state formation---namely, the decades preceding the implementation of mass male democracy in the Argentine presidential election of 1916. My research combined an analysis of the practices associated with the public sphere of Buenos Aires, such as readership of newspapers and pamphlets, engagement in local party organizations, and mobilization in street rallies and meetings, with the study of the discourses and performances that gave meaning to these practices. My contention is that subaltern groups decisively participated in the political culture of Buenos Aires during this period, taking advantage of intra-elite conflicts to advance their own agendas. This participation was both practical and symbolic, as non-elites actively disputed the legitimacy of the political system emphasizing its corruption through patronage and electoral manipulation. The extended perception of the corruption of the political system was to be one of the most important legacies of this political culture for the troubled development of democracy in twentieth-century Argentina.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Yablon, Ariel Sergio

Contributors dc:contributor

• Love, Joseph L.

• Political Science, General

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3111660

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/84654