Definiendo modelos de administración electoral. El caso argentino a examen

Calidad de la democracia / Administración electoral / Organismos electorales / Administración electoral / Cultura política / ArgentinaThe majority of democratic regimes in Latin America have overcome the phase of democratic consolidation, which means that the focus of studies is currently on their quality. Although the quality of democracy is a concept that is undoubtedly based on the principles of poliarchy (Alcántara 2008), it also considers many other aspects, including Electoral Administration, due to its key role in guaranteeing transparent, free and impartial elections. Electoral Administration in Latin America follows different models, which can be placed on a continuum whose extreme sides range from complete formal/legal independence from Bodies of Electoral Management (BEM) to their dependence on the powers of the State. Taking into account that the literature on this topic claims that these bodies need to be independent if they are to function properly (Hartlyn, McCoy y Mustillo, 2008), this study aims to analyze from the perspective of Argentine citizens and legislators of the model of electoral administration in Argentina, which is characterized by a certain dependence of their BEMs on the Executive and Judicial Powers (López Pintor, 2000) in order to see if there is any relationship between this dependency and the considerable fall in electoral participation in the last presidential elections (held in October 2007), as the turnout of 76.20% is the lowest since the country�s return to democracy