Political Clientelism: Are We So Different?

I thoroughly enjoyed this feature analysis of political clientelism in grassroots Latin America. Throughout the article, Auyero explores the everyday relationship between broker and client, one that has been relatively untouched through the well-meaning but unfortunately misplaced judgement that betrays the democratic northern lens through which current literature views the system.

 

In “The Logic of Clientelism in Argentina: An Ethnographic Account,” Auyero defines political clientelism as it exists in the slums of Argentina while making careful note of the societal factors that allow such a system to thrive. According to Auyero, clientelism is rooted in two things: widespread poverty and reciprocal help. He claims that in the slums, were everyone struggles, the relationships between family members, neighbors, and friends can be built on mutual reliance on each other. This puts poverty-ridden communities at risk to be taken advantage of by the Peronist party wishing to gain votes in the area by indebting individuals to brokers who provide for them and the community at large. The people receive what they need, and in return they are loyal to the party and may even cast their votes in favor of supporting candidates in local elections. It is a system that, however corrupt and violating of the tenets of democracy, appears to benefit all groups involved.

 

While I agree with the statements made by Auyero in his analysis, I propose to take it one step further and argue that political clientelism at its core is not far from the current system here in the United States. The premise of our politics is such that candidates run with the promise of providing and caring for, nigh rewarding, those who vote for them. You help me, I help you. It’s the way we govern ourselves. The one difference I see is that while our framework is based on further action, theirs runs on things done in the past. A cycle of debt from one person to the next.

 

However, as stated by Auyero, the analysis of political clientelism today is lacking. Research cannot easily explore the complexities of the relationships between the people involved. Therefore I look forward to learning more about the way political clientelism functions in both Latin American societies, and possibly our own.