Vice-presidents in Latin America have often been at the centre of political turbulence. To prevent conflicts within the executive, most Latin American countries have therefore put in place formulae to elect presidents and vice-presidents on a joint electoral ticket. Still, it is common for presidential candidates to pick running mates from other parties in order to construct alliances and appeal to a broader set of voters. But the presence of such ‘external’ vice-presidents seems to increase the risk of presidential interruption in general and impeachment processes in particular. Accordingly, we argue that the frequently overlooked institution of the vice-president deserves attention as a possible intervening variable that can contribute to the explanation for government crises and their outcomes in Latin America.

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盟友和叛徒：拉丁美洲的副总统

拉丁美洲的副总统经常处于政治动荡的中心。为防止行政部门内部发生冲突，大多数拉丁美洲国家因此制定了通过联合选举票选举总统和副总统的公式。尽管如此，总统候选人通常会从其他政党中挑选竞选伙伴，以建立联盟并吸引更广泛的选民。但这种“外部”副总统的存在似乎总体上增加了总统中断的风险，特别是弹劾程序的风险。因此，我们认为，经常被忽视的副总统制度作为一个可能的干预变量值得关注，它有助于解释拉丁美洲的政府危机及其结果。