Electoral pragmatism and political stability

the dual game of Christian Democracy in Chile and Uruguay (1964-1970)

Abstract

After the election of its candidate Eduardo Frei Montalva in 1964, the Chilean PDC operated until 1970 in a political scenario that was still stable, although increasingly polarized, which allowed this group to devote itself almost exclusively to the electoral game. In the meantime, the party focused its efforts primarily on implementing its program, the well-known Revolución en libertad, as well as dealing with internal conflicts between its different wings. In Uruguay, on the other hand, the Christian Democratic Party was a small opposition force, which from 1967 onwards, under the radicalization of the Tupamaro’s armed struggle and the rising authoritarianism of the Jorge Pacheco Areco government, engaged in the so-called regime’s game, committing itself to the defense of democracy and putting in the background the most immediate electoral objectives. After analyzing internal correspondence and material for political cadre training, as well as articles in the Christian Democratic press, the method of comparative history was used to compare the trajectory of the Chilean and Uruguayan PDCs between 1964 and 1970. In this regard, a central problem was chosen to articulate both objects of study, namely, the behavior of party leaders in the face of the growing threats to democracy in both countries. Based on Scott Mainwaring’s (2010) concept of dual game, this article shows how, in the Uruguayan case, the Christian Democrats committed themselves simultaneously to electoral and regime games, seeking to increase their support among voters and, at the same time, to guarantee the maintenance of democratic institutions and the political field then under constant threat.