Electoral process and union support : voting in an argentine oil province

Abstract

This paper examines the process of negotiation between two candidates vying for the executive office in a province of Argentina and an oil union there that plays a crucial role in the electoral process. It studies the various possible outcomes when each candidate negotiates with the union for its support. The basic theme that emerges from this analysis is that institutional frameworks, which define term limits, and the existence of discretional funds, are significant influences in the union’s decision. Yet it also shows the dynamics of political survival in provinces highly dependent on the royalties generated by extractive activities, and in which most employees are unionized and follow their union leader’s directives.