EFFECTS OF SOCIAL PROTEST ON THE IDEOLOGY OF PARLIAMENTARY ELITES: THREE CASE STUDIES FROM LATIN AMERICA*

This study examines the effects of social protest on the ideological repositioning of parliamentary elites through three social protest episodes in Latin America. After identifying and defining the mechanisms by which these effects are generated, we examine variations in the ideological response of parliamentary elites along a left-right spectrum. Such a left-right spectrum is considered appropriate given Latin America's contemporary political history. The study uses the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method to identify the ideological orientations among parliamentary elites after episodes of transgressive political contention. The analysis relies on three indices: polarization, overlap, and ideological niches. By examining these indices, we find concrete evidence of the presence and strength of the parliamentary elites’ ideological stances.