Estudios Públicos: N° 118, 2010.Reform of the presidential system: the case of Argentina’s presidential chief of staff (1995-2007)Ricardo Gamboa(author)
This article analyzes the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff (JGM) in Argentina between 1995 and 2007. Its purpose is to evaluate whether it has helped to moderate the presidential system in Argentina. It is concluded first that the JGM has not led to tempering the presidential system because its institutional design aims more to de-concentrate rather than to reduce the presidential power. Secondly, in practice, the JGM has not been able to fulfill the function of tempering the powers of the presidential system because its structure and attributions have been continuously changed and presidents have assigned varying importance to the JGM. Thirdly, it is pointed out that because of its design, the JGM is not the right tool with which to overcome the rigidity of the presidential system.