During “Sword Times” and under the Sign of Reconstruction. Presidential Leaderships of Agustín Justo, Roberto Ortiz and Ramón Castillo (1932-1943)

Abstract

Argentine presidentialism has been thoroughly studied in recent decades in political science and history for its dominant role in the political scene since the democratic recovery in 1983. However, a few studies have applied historical analysis to examine the performance of the presidential figure according to different contexts and times. This article aims to explore presidential leadership and political times considering the contributions made by Stephen Skowronek on American presidentialism, and how it is possible to review the performance of Argentinian presidential leadership in the 30s and 40s, period widely known as the “infamous decade” or “conservative restoration”. The “political time” perspective may help us highlight critical aspects of the presidential figure in the Argentine interwar period. In this sense, this paper will revisit the leadership of Agustín Justo (1932-1938), Roberto Ortiz (1938-1940) and Ramón Castillo (1940-1943) with a view to analyze how Skowronek’s typology can be valuable to explore the way these presidents perceived their places in national history.