Measuring Representation in Latin America: A Study of the Ideological Congruence between Parties and Voters

Abstract

In this paper we measure and explain the levels of ideological congruence between representatives and their represented in Latin America. The ideological congruence between political parties and their voters is an appropriate indicator of the responsiveness of the rulers to the demands of the governed and, therefore, of the quality of democracy in a political system. Consequently, this topic is of significant interest for the research on democratic consolidation. Taking advantage of recently available data on citizens’ opinions from Vanderbilt University (LAPOP) and on political elites’ opinions from the University of Salamanca (PELA), this paper contributes to the study of political representation in Latin America through the analysis of the ideological congruence in the region. First we explore the degree of ideological congruence between and within countries using Achen’s (1978) measures: proximity, centrism, and responsiveness. Next, we analyze some explanatory factors that account for those differences.