The Democracy Barometers (Part I): The Rise of Populism and the Left in Latin America

Abstract: AmericasBarometer data point to some overall trends that merit careful attention. The ideological center of gravity in Latin America is, by world standards, slightly to the right, yet attitudes are moving to the left. Ideological cleavages in Latin America, long after the Cold War's end, still line up along a distinct left-right dimension, and voters support parties consistent with their ideological orientations. The gap between left and right is very narrow, however, in some countries like Costa Rica, but strikingly wide in other countries such as Chile, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.