from Part II - Territorial Network Strategies in Argentina
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2025
Chapter 4 delves into the role of political brokers, referred to as punteros or referentes in Argentina, who are central figures in local political dynamics. The chapter is based on ethnographic research and provides a detailed description of these political actors, highlighting their skills and the resources that enable them to gain influence in their neighborhoods. Brokers function as key operatives for political parties, performing essential tasks throughout the year, not just during election periods. Their roles include the distribution of public goods and services, as well as the implementation of state programs in underprivileged areas. During election campaigns and on election day, brokers are not only engaged in clientelistic activities but also participate in traditional campaign efforts like canvassing and overseeing polling stations. The chapter shows that brokers, not parties, hold the resources and skills to connect with the poor. It underscores the pivotal role that brokers play in both the governance and electoral strategies of political parties, making them indispensable actors in the local political landscape.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.