Politics, federalism and decentralization.

Keys for the analysis of pandemic policies in Argentina

Abstract

With the advent of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, the States in Latin America and the world, had to face the situation by reorienting their public policies to stop the advance of the virus in the territories and to try to stop the economic crises that generates the pandemic. Argentina is a case for study: due to the initial effectiveness of its first measures, internationally recognized measures and due to the strategic use of the institutional scaffolding with which power is distributed in subnational territories. In this sense, this article problematizes two specific dimensions that characterize the institutional history of the country: federalism and decentralization, to analyze the public policies implemented by the National State. Thus, the article is developed from a theoretical review on the traditional literature on the subject and, at the end, it advances in analyzing why the Argentine National State, in coordination with the Provinces and Municipalities, implemented the most transcendental measures in the global pandemic context; It is argued that decentralization, federalism and political definitions by the National Executive functioned as key factors in the government's management strategy to face the challenges posed by the pandemic.