Biography:

Lautaro Cella is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Chicago, specializing in comparative politics and quantitative methods. His research interests include comparative political behavior, redistributive politics, and democratic erosion, with a regional focus on Latin America. Before joining the PhD program, he received a BA in Political Science from Torcuato Di Tella University, Argentina. 

Project Title: 

The Emergence of Anti-Establishment Attitudes and Protest Behavior. Theory and Evidence from Argentina and Chile.  

Abstract:

Disenchantment with political parties has become a global phenomenon. In the last five years, Argentina and Chile have witnessed an unexpected surge in anti-establishment views, protests, and votes for outsider candidates. What explains anti-establishment views and protest behavior among citizens? Much of the literature claims that the leading cause for the decline of partisanship and the success of outsiders is the policy convergence of mainstream political parties. Others point to poor incumbent performance. However, I contend that existing explanations do not tell the whole story. I argue that anti-establishment attitudes and protest behavior are predominantly driven by perceptions of generalized government underperformance in the form of repeated disappointing economic performance and corruption. When confronted with multiple political alternatives that have previously been in power and performed poorly, voters will increase their anti-establishment views and express their discontent through different methods: participating in street demonstrations, casting an invalid ballot, and supporting outsiders. An isolated economic crisis or corruption scandal is not enough for these outcomes to expand. Government underperformance must be repeated so that incumbent and non-incumbent established parties in the system become connected with it. I test my hypotheses by conducting original survey experiments in Argentina and Chile.