He Repression in democracy : a conceptual proposal in light of subnational politics

una propuesta conceptual a la luz de la política subnacional

Abstract

This work seeks to contribute to the study of repression from a subnational logic. Much of the literature on repression focused on the national level. At the same time, on many occasions, academic works use the concept of repression in a generic way without specifying its particularities. In this sense, the present research makes this analytical category more complex and proposes a conceptual distinction. It classifies repression into two, based on a study done by Mauricio Rivera: centralized subnational repression and decentralized subnational repression. The difference between these types of repression lies in the role of the governor in the repressive exercise. That is why the main approaches that explain the causes of repression are presented, highlighting the theoretical gap that exists regarding the importance of the governor in the decision to repress. To apply the proposed conceptual framework, illustrative cases corresponding to two Argentine provinces are used: Formosa and Autonomous City of Buenos. The selection of both jurisdictions is due to the fact that they have totally different economic, political and geographical characteristics, which allows, on the one hand, to test the explanations developed by the literature and, on the other hand, to identify the two types of repression.