Caudillo politics and delegative democracy in the leadership of Chávez, Putin and Berlusconi

Abstract

Hugo Chávez, Vladimir Putin and Silvio Berlusconi are the flawed leaders of three very different countries. Various elements of structure and agency allow such individuals to attain and maintain power despite their faults. An analysis of Chávez's leadership style, the nature of Venezuelan democracy and Venezuela's political culture sets the pattern for comparison with Putin and Berlusconi. Chávez also provides the basis to explore whether Latin American political concepts such as elected caudillismo and delegative democracy may be usefully applied to leaders in other countries. Ultimately, it is the failure of various structural components in Venezuela, Russia and Italy that allow these men to govern. They are all, indeed, elected caudillos and Venezuela and Russia are examples of delegative democracy. It is because Berlusconi is considered, by observers, to be a western democratic leader that he escapes the negative judgments heaped on Chávez and Putin.