Abers, Rebecca NeaeraRossi, Federico M.Marisa von Bülow2025-02-032025-02-032021-03-12Abers, R. N., Rossi, F. M., & von Bülow, M. (2021). State–society relations in uncertain times: Social movement strategies, ideational contestation and the pandemic in Brazil and Argentina. International Political Science Review, 42(3), 333-349. https://doi.org/10.1177/01925121219937130192-5121 | eISSN 1460-373Xhttps://doi.org/10.1177/0192512121993713https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/25778The registered version of this article, first published in “International Political Science Review, 42, 2021", is available online at the publisher's website: SAGE Publications, https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512121993713 La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en “International Political Science Review, 42, 2021", está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: SAGE Publications, https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512121993713This article compares how COVID-19 affected state–society relations differently in two relatively similar countries: Brazil and Argentina. Bringing together social movement theories and ideational institutionalism, we argue that variation in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic is explained by the different roles played by social movements inside and outside government and by contrasting ideational disputes. The extreme uncertainty introduced by the pandemic generated intense contestation about the meaning of the crisis and how to resolve it. In Brazil, progressive social movements not only were excluded from the government coalition, but also had to combat a powerful discourse that denied the existence of a crisis altogether. Such denialism did not flourish in the same way in Argentina, where progressive social movements were part of national government processes. The result was that in Argentina, movement–government dynamics revolved around constructing long-term policy proposals, whereas in Brazil movements focused on short-term emergency responses.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess59 Ciencia Política::5906 Sociología políticaartículoCOVID-19BrazilArgentinasocial movementspolitical opportunitiesuncertaintyideaspandemic