ABSTRACT
Peru has had fewer political vicissitudes than other Latin American countries. There have been no civil wars waged over federalism versus centralism, since the centralist tendency has predominated from the beginning. Since becoming independent, Peru has had twelve constitutions: those of 1823, 1826, 1828, 1834, 1837, 1839, 1856, 1860, 1867, 1868, 1919, and 1933. In addition to being presidentialist and centralist, all Peruvian constitutions, even if democratic in name, are in fact elitist. Most of the parties have been personahstic; that is, they have arisen around individuals during campaigns and administrations. Much more important than political groups and, in fact, than any other Peruvian party, present or past, is the American People's Revolutionary Alliance, often called, simply, the People's Party. The concept of pressure groups implies the existence of a center, subject to pressure, that functions as an arbiter between different groups.
