Spatial Competition in Latin America: An Overview of Some Illustrative Models

The “spatial” theory of politics has both behavioral and strategic implications. Voters are assumed to choose the candidate or alternative “closer” to the voter’s ideal point, in a space weighted by the salience of different dimensions or issues relevant to political culture of the nation. Candidates and parties are assumed to choose locations or platforms that appeal to the center of the distribution of preferences that are effectively enfranchised by the institutions of the nation. And legislative and executive institutions must somehow shape control of the agenda, including proposal power and restrictions on domain, in ways that balance political stability and the ability of political elites to achieve their goals. This note offers examples of research that has considered the spatial model in the context of Latin America, illustrating the value of the approach.