What do we know about the power to pardon? A review of the literature on presidential clemency in Latin Ameri

Abstract

The article analyzes the state of research in Political Science into pardons in Latin America. To this end, the literature is reviewed in two parts. The first part analyzes works about presidentialism, referring to both the United States and Latin America. The second focuses on pardons. This second section proposes a review based on analysis of two overlapping axes: geographical and disciplinary. Thus, on the one hand, the production in the United States is analyzed from both political science and law; and on the other, the literature produced in Latin America from both disciplines is analyzed. The results of the review show that pardoning is a strategic tool for government objectives, however it is a power absent from Latin American Political Science research.