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Summary: Comparative Politics of Latin America: Democracy at Last?
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CH1 : CONCEPTIONS OF DEMOCRACY-Focus questions: When we speak of “third wave of democracy”, what do we mean? alternatives?
-What is polyarchy as model democracy?
-Should we measure social and economic quality?
-What are some alternatives views on liberal democracy and polyarchy?
-Democracy doesn’t mean same as in the US as in Latin America
-Polyarchy conceive as liberal democracy
-Jimmy carter promoted human rights, Ronald created NED
-South America emerged from a harsh military dictatorship to a civilian rule. After berlin wall, democracy and capitalism triunfo
-This meant for latin American were giving authoritarian regimes and way to liberal democracy and communist came to an end,
except cuba and open to a free market economy
-The summit Stat.Principle (1994) said that democracy is indispensable for stability
-Democracy based on transparent elections and the right to participate in the gov
-This model based on capitalism, reduced role of gov and more of the market
-Trade without barriers, subsidies…
-Construct of the free trade area of the Americas
-The swing of liberal economic policy produced econ growth, but political reaction. Because it produced inequality and its when
a swing left was born with Chavez the Pink tide
-The rule of game of democracies has been put into game of the elites to influence on popular pressure
-Early 2000s a bottom up began to press for democracy, and inclusion.
1.1LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD LATIN AMERICA
-In the us liberalism means politicians in favor of the gov. but originally refers to a political ideology that sees individual choice as
essence of freedom. To elaborate liberal democracies:
-The indivual takes priority over community and state
-The market is preferred over gov planning
-The right to private property is natural right
-Liberals mistrust gov, they seek to limit power of state through constitution
-Possible to be liberal without democratic? Liberal democracies established limited gov, induvial rights like slavery.
-Neoliberalism means a new form of liberalism in the early days of capitalism in Europe
LIBERALISM, PLURALISM AND POLYARCHY
-Polyarchy: vision of real democracy. Dahl define as political regime where elites compete with another for influence
characterized by liberal freedoms. Deliver his view from pluralist school. Pluralist argue that “real stuff” is found in group life.
Pluralist recognize interest groups. They were pessimistic about democracy
-Democracy must be, Dalh, a regime where the opponents of the gov. can legally organize into political parties to oppose the gov
in fair elections.
--The result of liberal rules of the game and mass voting is what Dhal called polyarchy. Instead of an elite ruling class, polyarchies
have a variety of groups. Pluralism is the theory: polyarchy political system.
Elitism, pluralism and polyarchy are represented as follows
-Elections crucial mechanism of polyarchy
-If rules fair, guarantee freedom of speech and respect. However, in elections, wealthy competitions bring more power and
brings inequality
- A key of democracy is the preferences of citizens. Dahl believes impossible to bee everyone equal, but neither a totalitarianism
where elites are united instead of competing.
-All systems fall either in dictatorship by an oligarchy or participatory democracy
-Pluralist believe that even soviet unio or hitler had to pay attention demand of citizens in any form, even Cuba.
,LATIN AMERICAN AND THIRD WAVE OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
-If we consider only liberal democracy, there is a third wave democratization since 1970. Prior occurred after French revolution
and world war ii
-in the graph the spike is when eastern Europe cast off communism and Latin America held elections after military dictatorship
-Late 1980 and 1990 saw transition of democracy. Two Political systems born in radical revolution evolved towards liberalism the
FSNL in Nicaragua and PRI in Mexico, both lost elections
-The third wave peaked with Washington concensus.1990 describe set of market friendly econ.policies and commitment with
liberal democracies. Three big ideas: macro discipline, market economy and openness to the world.
-What’s important in this chapter is that Miami summit not only endorsed market friendly economies but expressed the
commitment of all countries in the hemisphere to electoral democracy and individual rights.
- In latin America, most politicians saw liberal democracy inevitable. Mario Vargas critized race and class system in novels.
-The Mexican Castaneda pronounced traditional left as a utopia
-Shouldn’t exaggerate latin American become right wing. Critized the policies used of IMF
-By countries of the periphery we mean countries with little power
-Globalization advocates democracy by : promoting individual freedom. Decentralizing econ power and encourage people with
same interest to influence politics.
-Civil society means groups, movements and organizations
-overall the best government, is the one that governs the least. Individuals remain free to interact with each other.
De soto, argued main obstacle holding informal workers is lacked property rights
-Common ground between left and right is legal securities for home and small business in the informal sector
-How neoliberalism promote liberal democracy? free trade policies and globalization
-In other words there was more room for civil society
-Structural adjustment resulted in higher unemployment
-Liberal democrats see civil society as social life where induvial cooperate and compete with each other
-The left now speaks of twenty first century socialism, a new model of what emerged in the soviet union
-latin americans wants to build a civil society that stands between the market and state
-Political left on defensive took advantage of popular discontent with neoliberal economic policy that became the Pink Tide
1.2 HOW COMPARATIVISM APPLY POLYARCHY TO LATIN AMERICA
-Evolution: Breakdown, transition to democracy and consolidation
-The breakdown refers to democratic regimes to the economic crisis that affected middle 1960s. the period after breakdown
came with repression. Mid 1980s brutal military rule. After end of communism in europe the militars went down
-Transition to democracy was elite compromise, where each group not at risk in the democrazy
-Most transitions gave to another wave about: deepening of democracy
-Emphasis intuitionalism for development of law, ensuring all citizens are treated the same
-Personalism remins too strong to inspire confidence stability
-Best known case chile dictator Pinochet limited democracy and when he left the constitution as he left it until 2000. Many
Chileans disappointed because it didn’t bring much change returning democracy
-Nowadays military aren’t in politics and elections are held better
-Pessimism view because there was not enough focus on institutions than elections
1.3 POLITICAL CULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA
-Philip see culture as an obstacle to democracy , they see more traditional and personalist than developed wealthier countries
-Modern culture favoritism towards relatives is corruption. In traditional cultures, it is a norm
-Example compadrazgo, del padrino etc
-Because of it some favor formation patrimonial state (leaders who offer resources provided by state)
-Another problem is delegative democracies whoever wins the election governs as she wants
, -Illiberal democracy, where concentration of executive power is combined with abuses of human rights.
-Hybird regimes whre some regmes have emerged in easter europe, latin ameirca. Recognizes regimes from an authoritarian in
the past
-Corporatism where the state treats socity as family
STRONG PRESIDENTS, PERSONALISM AND ILLEBARAL DEMOCRACY
-A tendency toward personalism in leadership. We deal with toy democracies, support of the masses of what the caudillo wants
to do
-Caudillo means man on horseback. Personalist, a place to loyalty. Has to see wirh ind. From Spain and Portugal
-Personalism and clientelism tend to stress political culture than social class
-Personalism reinforces populism which is the mas support
-Ceresole accused of neonazi view liberal democracy anthietical, underestimated and denigrated by north American.
Anticoumist, his theory of leadership similar to fidel castro in cuba
CLIENTELISM AND CORRUPTION
-Clientelism involves an unequal exchange between people and public officials who can provide a benefit of some kind
-Political pull (palanca) is necessary for everything in latin america. Petty corruption, also bribary of polices
-Politicians have exploited the needs for the poor by promising what the community needs.
-Clientelism is exchange of material benefits for political loyalty
-Patronage politics take precedene over debate abput policies and programs, this is econ.ineficient
-People belive if they worked for the party, they deserve smth in exchange
-Not much evidence democracies are less corrupt than dictatorship
-Elective affinity is culture isn’t ideas in our head, but practices
-This also doesn’t reflec the diversity per country
1.4 OTHERS KINDS OF DEMOCRACY
-Democracy has a different meaning across
-Proletariat means common people ,working class. However, there wasn’t an era where workers worked for manufacturing or
mining. But they worked for haciendas or latifundios in exchange for their small land minifundio
-Oppressed class (the demos)
-National liberation rise to governments dominated by single party with the goal to uniform foreign intervention
-All proclaimed democratic, but fail the possibility for an opposition to win a fair election
DEMOCRACY WITHOUT PEOPLE
-Hegemony, polyarchy is exported to latin America and keeps the region neocolonial statust, ensuring elites hold power
-Limits popular participation and weakens the state and remains business friendly for corporations
1.5 NOT TAKING DEMOCRACY FOR GRANTED
Democracy seems like a form of government
Democracy as polyarchy and capitalism and globalization as an encouragement of democracy
Q1 WHAT IS A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY?
-In the us liberalism means politicians in favor of the gov. but originally refers to a political ideology that sees individual choice as
essence of freedom. To elaborate liberal democracies:
-The indivual takes priority over community and state
-The market is preferred over gov planning
-The right to private property is natural right
-Liberals mistrust gov, they seek to limit power of state through constitution
DQ1: CURRENTLY, WHICH LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES DON’T FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY?
Cuba and Haiti
Q2: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLIGARCHY AND POLYARCHY?
-Polyarchy: vision of real democracy. Dahl define as political regime where elites compete with another for influence
characterized by liberal freedoms. Deliver his view from pluralist school. Pluralist argue that “real stuff” is found in group life.
Pluralist recognize interest groups. They were pessimistic about democracy
-Polyarchy is about liberal rules and mass voting rights composed of many elite
-Oligarchy is about organization of a small group of people controlling it
DQ2: DOES FIGURE 1.1. OFFER AN ACURETE PICTURE OF HOW LATIN AMEIRCA COUNTRIES ARE RULES?
Yes it does, depending on the country you live.
Elitist model: ruled by one elite like nicaragua
Pluralist theory of group politics: chile
Pluralist model of democracy: ecuador
Q3:KEY ELEMENTS OF LATIN AMERICAS POLITICAL CULTURE OF PATRIMONIALISM?
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