A framework for the study of political parties in transitions: foundation vs. tradition

Abstract

The article discusses the party systems that are emerging in the Central American countries. Two main groups of countries are described: In Costa Rica and Honduras the traditional party systems have changed little during the eighties, whereas in Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador the political parties that have appeared after the 1980s wars are remarkably different that those existing in the pre-revolutionary crisis. This situation is analyzed related to the role that political parties play in democratic transitions, and the traditional weakness of political parties in the newly democratized countries.