Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America: Rethinking the Terms of the Debate
- 2 Multipartism, Robust Federalism, and Presidentialism in Brazil
- 3 The Unrealized Potential of Presidential Dominance in Colombia
- 4 Presidential Behavior in a System with Strong Parties: Venezuela, 1958–1995
- 5 Strong Candidates for a Limited Office: Presidentialism and Political Parties in Costa Rica
- 6 Political Sources of Presidencialismo in Mexico
- 7 Evaluating Argentina's Presidential Democracy: 1983–1995
- 8 In Defense of Presidentialism: The Case of Chile, 1932–1970
- 9 Executive–Legislative Relations in Post–Pinochet Chile: A Preliminary Assessment
- 10 Hybrid Presidentialism and Democratization: The Case of Bolivia
- 11 Conclusion: Presidentialism and the Party System
- Appendix: Outlines of Constitutional Powers in Latin America
- References
- Index
8 - In Defense of Presidentialism: The Case of Chile, 1932–1970
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America: Rethinking the Terms of the Debate
- 2 Multipartism, Robust Federalism, and Presidentialism in Brazil
- 3 The Unrealized Potential of Presidential Dominance in Colombia
- 4 Presidential Behavior in a System with Strong Parties: Venezuela, 1958–1995
- 5 Strong Candidates for a Limited Office: Presidentialism and Political Parties in Costa Rica
- 6 Political Sources of Presidencialismo in Mexico
- 7 Evaluating Argentina's Presidential Democracy: 1983–1995
- 8 In Defense of Presidentialism: The Case of Chile, 1932–1970
- 9 Executive–Legislative Relations in Post–Pinochet Chile: A Preliminary Assessment
- 10 Hybrid Presidentialism and Democratization: The Case of Bolivia
- 11 Conclusion: Presidentialism and the Party System
- Appendix: Outlines of Constitutional Powers in Latin America
- References
- Index
Summary
Until recently, the development of Chilean democracy between 1932 and 1970 was regarded as a success story, at least by Third World standards. For during this period there was a major expansion of political participation combined with ever more systematic attempts to deal with the root cause of economic underdevelopment. As industry became more diversified and government policy on copper and other natural resources became more coherent, there was also a serious attempt, through an agrarian reform, to tackle the problem of low productivity in the agricultural sector.
Political stability had facilitated the development of a large network of state institutions that played a prominent role in promoting economic development. Over the years, these institutions had made it possible to combine the implementation of imaginative socioeconomic reforms with a sustained process of political and electoral mobilization. This process had not only strengthened the legitimacy of the political system, but had helped generate among political leaders an unbounded confidence in the possibility of achieving socioeconomic change through the existing institutional framework.
One feature of Chile's political system that had gone largely unnoticed by specialists was its presidential system of government. However, the collapse of democracy in 1973, which prompted many scholars to reflect upon the reasons for the breakdown, also brought about a renewed interest in this feature of the political system.
Some of the most stimulating contributions to the study of political transitions have come from scholars who, until recently, have concentrated on the study of the breakdown of democracy: in particular, Linz (1978), Linz and Stepan (1978), and Valenzuela (1978).
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- Information
- Presidentialism and Democracy in Latin America , pp. 300 - 320Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1997
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