No Apparent Link. Political Parties and Ideology in Paraguay

Abstract

The Paraguayan political system is characterized by the hegemonic presence of two parties, the National Republican Association (ANR) and the Authentic Radical Liberal
Party (PLRA), which have dominated the country’s institutional life since their creation at the end of the 19th century. Although presented as antagonistic and irreconcilable forces by many political actors, this article argues that the differences between these parties, far from being based on ideological positions, restra ther on affective relations and family traditions. Drawing from quantitative and qualitative data collected by a research group active in Paraguay between 2016 and 2018, thistext discusses the role thatideologyplaysinthe Paraguayan political environment, and particularly, within the two major traditional parties, concluding that both the ANR and the PLRA continueto gain followers not drawing on a debate of ideas, but on the basis of partyidentification.