Introductory notes on populism and political culture in the andean area of Latin America

Abstract

The main points of the political culture and mentality of the Andean area arise from colonial times. They have suffered many alterations; the most important one has been caused by the modernization process in the second half of the 20th century. But the leading features of that culture are still alive: authoritarianism, paternalism and centralism, on the one side, and the poor, slow, inefficient, and complicated functioning of the state bureaucracy, on the other. An additional lack of research work concerns the problem of collective law perception. The preservation of this political culture can bring alone a return of nationalist and collectivist behaviour patterns and of political proceedings, which are characterized by caudillismo, charismatic attraction, irrationalism and authoritarian hierarchies.

Key words: antiliberalism, authoritarianism, centralism, parallel codes, populism, cultural traditions.