Guardians of the Nation?: Economists, Generals, and Economic Reform in Latin America (Kellogg Institute Series on Democracy and Development) - Hardcover

Biglaiser, Glen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0268038740 ISBN 13: 9780268038748

Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press, 2002

Synopsis

Central to the question of how to promote economic growth in Latin America is the role different types of regimes play in determining economic performance. Guardians of the Nation? challenges conventional wisdom regarding the expected advantages of military rule for economic growth. Glen Biglaiser explains why many military regimes in Latin America have not performed noticeably better than their democratic counterparts. Biglaiser argues that economic policy-making under military regimes is essentially an unintended by-product of the military's strategy to retain power. Using this premise, he examines the economic performance of regimes in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Biglaiser shows that the appointment of neoliberal economists occurred not because military rulers possessed inherent interest in following market-oriented policies, but because they saw the appointments as a way to solidify their power. Biglaiser's study also depicts Pinochet's one-man rule as unique vis-a-vis the military regimes in Argentina and Uruguay. He concludes by demonstrating that his study is also applicable for understanding economic policy choice under democratic rule, and by comparing the similarities and differences between presidential and parliamentary governments.

About this title

Review:

Glen Biglaiser has written one of the most intelligent books on the role of ideas that I have come across in years. Not only is the book theoretically clever, but it also is empirically sound... this book will make a substantial contribution to comparative politics and sociology. - Anthony Gill University of Washington

About the Author:

Glen Biglaiser is an assistant professor of political science at Bowling Green State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0268038740
• ISBN 13: 9780268038748
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 252