Electoral Realignment in the Dominican Republic, 2000-2010

Two trends have characterized party-centered politics in Latin America during
the last decade: a breakdown of party systems in various countries such as
Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and a more pronounced ideological
differentiation among parties or political movements. The emergence of
self-denominated leftist political parties and governments is an outstanding
feature of this process. The case of the Dominican Republic, however, shows
an opposite trend. By reviewing historical facts and electoral statistics,
the author aims to explain why the Dominican party system has remained
relatively stable, in spite of the repositioning of the most important political
parties, and why a leftist alternative has not emerged.