Governor falls in federal countries: Argentina and Brazil in comparative perspective

Abstract

The article provides a comparative analysis of the governor’s downfalls in Argentina and Brazil between 1983 and 2023. Its main questions are: What types of downfalls were recorded? What conflicts triggered the processes? How was succession handled? What role did national governments play? What multilevel dynamics can be observed in each country? To answer these questions, it draws on an original database covering 32 resignations during nine constitutional terms. The study presents new evidence on the main characteristics of the downfalls and patterns of instability in each country. Among the main findings is a political-institutional bias in the Argentine crises, while in Brazil the processes show a political-judicial bias.