The structure of the party competition in Argentina: analysis and evaluation of the analytic image of the «territorialization» of the party system

Abstract

This essay analyzes the «territorialization» thesis in Argentine
politics through a close look at its core hypothesis: the idea of an unbalanced
regionally fragmented party system (hereinafter «FRD»). The main empirical
propositions of the FRD are identified and submitted to testing. The
said testing shows that FRD has only partial empirical validity. Finally, these
results are interpreted to require more detailed examination of the previous
image of functioning of the party system of the country, hence denominated
as «classical».