The Organization of the Executive Branch in Latin America: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Abstract

This article proposes a research agenda on the organization of the Executive branch in Latin America by reviewing the literature on the US and Latin American presidencies and outlining the research gap among them. The study finds that while strong, region-wide patterns have been established about cabinets in Latin America, research is lagging behind on the presidential center, presidential advisory networks, and their effects on policymaking. The paper sets a series of research questions and suggests a combination of quantitative, social network and case studies strategies to address them.