The New Debate on Populism and Its Roots in Democratic Transition: The Case of Argentina

This paper examines the concerns which have led to the new wave of studies on populism in Argentina, focusing more on the debate surrounding the establishment of a new institutional framework typical of the 1980s than on the proliferation of 21st-century popular governments in South America. The typical characteristics and problems encountered in these studies are explained, and the defining features of the populist experience in 20th-century Argentina are analyzed by drawing comparisons with other populist processes in the region. Finally, the paper analyzes how certain features persist in the new political order, while others have gone through complete transformations since it was established in 1983.