Cutting Through the State: Examining Voter Alignment With Milei's Agenda and His Chainsaw Plan

ABSTRACT Argentina's political landscape experienced a major shift with the unexpected election of Javier Milei as President. Known for his radical right‐wing stance, Milei has pledged to drastically minimize the state's role, proposing a public spending cut of 14% of the gross domestic product. While his lack of a legislative majority poses a challenge to implementing his ambitious agenda, Milei has signaled his intent to use referenda to bypass Congress in a strategic maneuver. Do his supporters genuinely back his policy positions? In which areas and sectors of the state might Milei's voters endorse the application of his so‐called “chainsaw plan” and other proposed reforms? Using survey data ( n = 1181), this article will examine whether Milei's voters support his views and policies, signaling a shift to the right in public opinion after decades of strong support for left‐wing parties. Regression analysis on voting intentions reveals that, among various areas (health, environment, economy, immigration, international relations, and the role of the state), economic visions and preferences emerge as the strongest predictors of support for Milei, highlighting the economic dimension as central to the motivations of his voter base.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Latin American Policy
Published
2026-08-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/lamp.70066
Primary Topic
Politics and Society in Latin America
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Cutting Through the State: Examining Voter Alignment With Milei's Agenda and His Chainsaw Plan

Franco Bastias, Giada Pasquettaz
Latin American Policy
Politics and Society in Latin America
article

Cutting Through the State: Examining Voter Alignment With Milei's Agenda and His Chainsaw Plan

Franco Bastias, Giada Pasquettaz
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Argentina's political landscape experienced a major shift with the unexpected election of Javier Milei as President. Known for his radical right‐wing stance, Milei has pledged to drastically minimize the state's role, proposing a public spending cut of 14% of the gross domestic product. While his lack of a legislative majority poses a challenge to implementing his ambitious agenda, Milei has signaled his intent to use referenda to bypass Congress in a strategic maneuver. Do his supporters genuinely back his policy positions? In which areas and sectors of the state might Milei's voters endorse the application of his so‐called “chainsaw plan” and other proposed reforms? Using survey data ( n = 1181), this article will examine whether Milei's voters support his views and policies, signaling a shift to the right in public opinion after decades of strong support for left‐wing parties. Regression analysis on voting intentions reveals that, among various areas (health, environment, economy, immigration, international relations, and the role of the state), economic visions and preferences emerge as the strongest predictors of support for Milei, highlighting the economic dimension as central to the motivations of his voter base.

Latin American PolicyVol. 17(3)
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), University of Konstanz (DE), Centro Científico Tecnológico - San Juan (AR), Universidad Católica de Cuyo (AR)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Politics and Society in Latin America
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Cutting Through the State: Examining Voter Alignment With Milei's Agenda and His Chainsaw Plan — Franco Bastias, Giada Pasquettaz · Latin American Policy (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS