Why elections need parties managing free and fair elections in Latin America and Africa Alejandro Trelles

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trelles, Alejandro, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elections--Management.

Political parties.

Political participation.

Latin America.

Africa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2026

Summary:

"Why do some electoral commissions earn public trust while others collapse under pressure? Why Elections Need Parties offers a sharp and timely exploration of how democracies succeed or stumble at the ballot box. Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork, elite interviews, and archival research across Latin America and Africa, Alejandro Trelles uncovers the institutional and political forces that determine whether electoral management bodies (EMBs) gain real autonomy or become vulnerable to manipulation. Trelles develops a new theory of partisan inclusion to show how party engagement, transparency, and accountability can strengthen, rather than weaken, electoral governance. Through vivid country cases and rich comparative analysis, this book demonstrates how institutional design, consultation mechanisms, and administrative practice shape election quality and democratic resilience"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

Pathways for building de facto electoral autonomy

The politics of integrity : parties as the most effective watchdogs

Consultation and accountability within independent EMBs

Mexico : the partisan check-and-balance system

Ghana : developing trust through consultation

Venezuela : the gap between de jure and de facto electoral autonomy

Kenya : insulation and political unrest

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed May 11, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version Trelles, Alejandro Why elections need parties

ISBN:

9781009850346

1009850342

OCLC:

1571460017

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license