Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
cles that have permitted their leaders to maintain a certain
presence in the national arena, sometimes by establishing alliances
with one of the major parties. Others have been created
by leaders who have lost factional struggles within one of the
major parties. Extreme-left and communist parties have never
had much of a popular following in the country, and they have
often been consumed by internecine conflicts and by bitter
attacks against the PRD and then the PLD. Following the end
of the Cold War, these parties declined even further as electoral
vehicles, when some of their leaders joined the PRD or
the PLD, and others focused more of their attention on social
movements.
As the Dominican Republic enters the new century, each of
its major parties confronts challenges that could lead to significant
changes in the party system. And, as elsewhere on the continent
and, indeed, in the world, political parties in the country
confront high levels of skepticism within an electorate that
often perceives them as inefficient, self-serving organizations
rather than as effective means of representing their interests.
The PRD remains the party with the strongest membership and
following, but it knows it risks a repeat of factional division or
loss of support because of poor performance in government.
The PRSC has experienced sharply declining electoral support
as its aging leader was forced from the presidency, yet Balaguer
retains a firm grip on the party. It is unlikely that any other
leader will be able to retain the loyalty of this electorate to the
degree that Balaguer did, and the fate of the party is very much
in question once he dies. Meanwhile, as its relatively lackluster
performance in the 1998 congressional elections indicates, the
PLD has not yet consolidated support among the voters who
gave it a presidential victory in 1996.
Interest Groups and Social Actors
In the Dominican Republic, numerous factors have militated
against the establishment and maintenance of a dynamic civil
society characterized by a multiplicity of interest groups and
associations. Historically, the most important factors that
explain this lack include poverty and low rates of education,
high levels of inequality, repressive governments such as that of
Trujillo (1930-61), which quashed any independent organizations,
and the reliance of political actors on clientelism and
patronage. Since 1961, and especially since the early 1980s,
socioeconomic changes and international influences have had
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