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Arturo Valenzuela Sist De Partidos Y De Gobierno Sistema de partidos políticos y alternativa parlamentaria al sistema presidencial de gobierno, en los estudios académicos de Arturo Valenzuela El académico y diplomático norteamericano Arturo Valenzuela, ha desarrollado una prestigiosa carrera profesional, tanto en el ámbito de la ciencia política como a nivel de altos cargos ocupados en el gobierno central de Estados Unidos. El profesional, nacido en Chile, ha centrado sus investigaciones académicas en el estudio del sistema de partidos políticos chileno y ha llegado a proponer que una alternativa viable para la estabilidad del sistema político en el país, sería instalar una forma parlamentaria de gobierno. Al respecto, señala que el sistema de partidos chileno se estructura en un esquema multipartidista, muy competitivo en materia electoral, altamente polarizado en el aspecto ideológico, y orientado en torno a tres tendencias políticas, con claros referentes partidistas. Este esquema, en un sistema presidencial, ha determinado la formación de gobiernos minoritarios, que requieren establecer coaliciones pre y post electorales para desarrollar su gestión, la que es percibida como una constante crisis institucional. Por este motivo, Valenzuela propone cambiar la forma de gobierno por una opción parlamentaria que reduzca los niveles de incertidumbre frente a la coalición, y que en caso de crisis permita una solución institucional, cambiando al gobierno y no al régimen político. Tabla de Contenido I. Introducción ........................................................................................ 1 II. Breve currículo profesional ..................................................................... 2 III. Consideraciones sobre el sistema de partidos políticos chileno .................... 3 IV. Apreciaciones sobre el quiebre democrático y la naturaleza del sistema de gobierno ........................................................................................................ 5 I. Introducción Este informe precisa, en forma breve y descriptiva, los principales alcances del planteamiento académico del profesor y diplomático norteamericano Arturo Valenzuela, cientista político nacido en Chile, sobre el sistema de partidos políticos de nuestro país y la viabilidad de establecer una forma parlamentaria de gobierno, como opción al sistema presidencial. Se recurre a la bibliografía del autor disponible en la Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional y a aquella accesible desde portales académicos en línea. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile. Asesoría Técnica Parlamentaria. Área de Gobierno, Defensa y Relaciones Internacionales. Andrea Vargas Cárdenas– [email protected] , – Anexo 1871. 06/04/2016. 2 II. Breve currículo profesional Arturo Valenzuela Bowie, Profesor Emérito de la Facultad de Gobierno de la Universidad de Georgetown y ex-director del Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos de la misma casa de estudios 1, es un catedrático y diplomático de origen chileno, quien fue Secretario de Estado Adjunto de la cartera de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos 2, bajo la administración del actual Presidente Barack Obama (entre noviembre de 2009 y julio de 2011) 3. Además, fungió como Asistente Especial del Presidente y Director de Mayor Rango para los Asuntos Interamericanos en el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional 4 (entre los años 1999 y 2000); y como Subsecretario para los Asuntos Interamericanos en el Departamento de Estado, con responsabilidad especial en la política de Estados Unidos hacia México 5, entre los años 1994 y 1999, durante los dos períodos de administración del Presidente Bill Clinton 6. Valenzuela, nacido en Concepción, Chile, en 1944, e hijo de un pastor metodista y una ciudadana norteamericana 7, emigró a Estados Unidos para cursar sus estudios de ciencia política en la Universidad de Duke, y recibir grado académico de Doctor por la Universidad de Columbia. Ha sido profesor visitante en la Universidad de Oxford, Universidad de Sussex, Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y Universidad de Florencia, en Italia 8. Ha sido, también, asesor de la Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado estadounidense y de varios países latinoamericanos; consultor de empresas; miembro de la Junta Directiva de Corpbanca, en Santiago de Chile, así como del Consejo Asesor Internacional de Repsol, en Madrid, España; consejero del National Council of La Raza, y del Comité Asesor de Human Rights Watch Americas , entre otras organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Dirige también el portal latinoamericano de estudios regionales Nueva Mayoría.com, y ha sido distinguido y condecorado por su trabajo y contribución con la Orden Nacional Cruz del Sur de Brasil y la Orden de Boyacá, de Colombia 9. Valenzuela también es miembro del comité editorial de 1 Georgetown University: Department of Government. Comparative government . Disponible en: https://government.georgetown.edu/page/1242699847650.html (Abril, 2016). 2 Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State . 3 U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian. Disponible en: https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/valenzuela-arturo (Abril, 2016). 4 Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council . 5 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs at the U.S. Department of State 6 U.S. Department of State : Dr. Arturo Valenzuela/Secretario Adjunto para Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental. Disponible en: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/guatemala/788/pdfs/ASArturoValenzuelaBIOSpanish2010.pdf (Abril, 2016). 7 El Sur.cl: “La niñez penquista de A. Valenzuela, el delfín de Obama para Latinoamérica”. 14-05-2009. Disponible en: http://www.diarioelsur.cl/base_elsur/site/artic/20090514/pags/20090514011400.html (Abril, 2016). 8 LINZ, Juan y VALENZUELA, Arturo (eds): Las crisis del presidencialismo. Vol. 2. Alianza Editorial, 1998. Pág. 375 9 Véase: Covington: Arturo A. Valenzuela. Senior Latin America Advisor. Disponible en: https://www.cov.com/en/professionals/v/arturo-valenzuela (Abril, 2016). UDP: Ediciones UDP. Disponible 3 prestigiosas revistas, como Foreign Policy Bulletin , Journal of Democracy, Current History , Estudios Públicos , Revista de Ciencia Política , Amérique Latine , The Latin American Research Review y The Third World Quarterly 10 . Actualmente se desempeña como consultor de la multinacional firma de abogados Covington & Burling LLP. En sus investigaciones académicas, Valenzuela se ha interesado y especializado en procesos de consolidación democrática, sistemas electorales, relaciones civil- militares, partidos políticos, y relaciones entre Estados Unidos y América Latina 11 . Al respecto, entre sus principales publicaciones destacan Political Brokers in Chile (Duke University, EE.UU., 1977), El quiebre de la democracia en Chile (FLACSO, Chile, 1989. Tít original The breakdown of democratic regime: Chile , Johns Hopkins University Press, EE.UU., 1978), habiendo coescrito igualmente con la periodista norteamericana Pamela Constable: Una nación de enemigos: Chile bajo Pinochet (Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, 2013. Tít. Original: A nation of enemies: Chile under Pinochet , 1991); coeditado junto a su hermano Samuel Valenzuela: Chile: Politics and Society (New Brunswick, EE.UU., 1976); coescrito junto al sociólogo español Juan José Linz: Las crisis del presidencialismo (Alianza Universidad, España, 1997. Tít. original The failure of presidential democracy , 1994); y junto a Linz y Arend Lijphart: Hacia una democracia moderna: La opción parlamentaria (Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 1990). III. Consideraciones sobre el sistema de partidos políticos chileno Arturo Valenzuela describe al sistema de partidos políticos chileno como uno de los más fuertes y longevos de la región 12 . Según Valenzuela, los partidos han sido las fuerzas políticas determinantes para el desarrollo de las instituciones republicanas y democráticas del país, habiendo sido, a la vez, protagonistas críticos en los periodos de inestabilidad e inquietud política 13 . Para el académico, el sistema de partidos chileno se ha estructurado a partir de un esquema multipartidista, con tres tendencias política e ideológicamente diferenciadas en claros referentes de derecha, centro e izquierda, naturaleza que describe la particularidad del sistema chileno: “en ningún otro país de América del Norte o del Sur se produjo un sistema de partidos con tres tendencias ideológicas en: http://ediciones.udp.cl/el-quiebre-de-la-democracia-en-chile-arturo-valenzuela/ (Abril, 2016). Infolatam: Biografía de Arturo Valenzuela Disponible en: http://www.infolatam.com/2009/04/20/biografia-de-arturo-valenzuela/ (Abril, 2016). NuevaMayoria.com: Acerca de Nueva Mayoría.com. Disponible en: http://www.nuevamayoria.com/ES/ (Abril, 2016), y U.S. Department of State : Dr. Arturo Valenzuela/Secretario Adjunto para Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental. Op. Cit. 10 Infolatam: Biografía de Arturo Valenzuela. Op. Cit. 11 Instituto de Ciencia Política: Profesor Arturo Valenzuela en el ICP. Disponible en: http://www.cienciapolitica.uc.cl/extension/conferencias/26-contenidos/extension-y- eventos/conferencias/238-profesor-arturo-valenzuela-en-el-icp (Abril, 2016). 12 VALENZUELA: “La política de partidos y la crisis del presidencialismo en Chile. En LINZ, Juan y VALENZUELA, Arturo (eds): Op. Cit. Pág. 48 13 Ibíd. Pág. 17 4 separadas, cada una con el apoyo de entre una cuarta y una tercera parte del electorado, entre ellas
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