Before going to Chile.

1
Before going to Chile.

• Lets start considering this question
• Argentina has one of the strongest labor
  movements in Latin America. Can you think in ways
  Menem was able to control workers pressures and
  impose his structural reforms?

2
Dont get lost!Where we are in this class

• Again (and again), our main questions are
• Why have Latin America not achieved greater
  economic development?
  
• What makes Latin America politically instable?
• Argentina illustrates one path of economic and
  political development
  
• Tensions and conflicts within the elite and the
  exclusion of important sectors have seriously
  damaged options of economic development and
  political stability.
• Chile illustrates a different path
• First, progressive inclusion of social sectors
  allowed an extensive period of political
  stability (until 1973!)
  
• Second, while polarization was a crucial factor
  explaining the military coup in 1973, political
  consensus was a crucial factor explaining the
  re-establishment of democracy in 1990.
• Third, Chile shows an important anomaly in
  relation to other democratic regimes the high
  level of military autonomy
  

3
Chile The Big Picture

• Brief Political Chronology
• Republican Period (1810-1925)
• 1810-1831 Conservative Republic (oligarchic
  governments)
  
• 1831-1891 Liberal Republic (Still oligarchic
  governments)
  
• 1891-1925 Parliamentary Republic (Oligarchic
  govts. Inclusion middle-c)
  
• 1925-1932 Instability period. (Short military
  coup in 1931)
  
• Progressive democratization (1925-1973)
• 1932-1952 Popular Front period (4 middle class
  govts/)
  
• 1958-1964 Alessandris govt. Conservative party
  govt.
  
• 1964-1970 Freis govt. Center-Christian Democrat
  
  
• 1970-1973 Allendes govt. Leftist-Socialist
  
  
• Military regime
• 1973-1990 Pinochets military Regime.
  Dictatorship
  
• Re-establishment of Democracy
• 1990-1994 Aylwin govt. Center-Left coalition
  (Concertacion)
  
• 1994-2000 Freis govt. Center-Left coalition
  (Concertacion)
  
• 2000-2006 Lagos govt. Center-Left coalition
  (Concertacion)
  

4
Chile The Big Picture

• In comparison to other Latin American countries,
  Chile has had a very stable and progressively
  inclusive political system.
  
• Economically, Chile has enjoyed more stability
  than other countries in Latin America in the last
  20 years.
  
• Two central questions to analyze
• A) What are the factors causing this long
  stability?
  
• B) Why was this stability violently broken in
  1973?

5
Chile today some facts

• Chile Long and thin country (3,000 x 90
  kilometers)
  
• 15 millions people/ Favorite sports Soccer and
  Tennis
  
• Economy
• Until 1970s, based on a single commodity
  copper.
  
• After 1970s Wine, grapes, fruits, fish, wood
• After 1983 consistent economic growth.
  Unilateral openness to trade
  
• Social Clear social stratification
  upper/middle/lower classes
  
• Culture Chile is culturally conservative.
  Influence of Church and upper-cl.
  
• Politics and Institutions
• Strong party system (Clear ideological divisions
  bet. Right/Center/left
  
• Low levels of corruption within the elite
• Strong state
• Main problems
• The role of the military in politics
• High levels of income inequality

6
Explaining Chiles Political Stabilitybetween
1810-1973

• The main characteristics of the economy in Chile
  between 1810 and 1973
  
• 1800s-early 1900s Agriculture and mining
  (Silver, nitrates, copper)
  
• 1900-1973 Copper, some industrialization during
  1940s (textiles)
  
• 1970s-2000 Copper, sea products, agricultural
  products
  
• Who was controlling the economy during the
  1800s?
  
• When the middle class enter into the political
  scene in Chile?
  
• When did workers enter into the political scene
  in Chile?
  

7
ChileExplaining Political Stability

• As Argentina, Chie was controlled by powerful
  groups of society (the elite). But, landowners
  and mining owners agreed to resolve disputes
  within the political system.
• In Chile, when new groups of society pressured
  the elites, these elites responded by repressing
  them first, but including them later.
  
• The example of Alessandri during 1920s approving
  the Labor Code.
  
• Key aspect government preemption of conflicts

8
ChileExplaining political Stability

• Thus, political stability can be explained
  because
  
• A) governments preempted conflicts by including
  new sectors, anticipating conflicts.
  
• b) Political parties represented peoples
  demands
  
• The Era of Party Politics (1932-1973)
• What are the main features of the era of party
  politics? (121)

9
ChileFrom Stability to Instability

• Competition, Coalitions, democratic politics.
• Thus, Chile a case of extreme political stability
  until 1973.
  
• Why a military coup?
• Different interpretations
• external factors (role of the US)
• Domestic factors
• Role of the Military
• Role of political parties
• Today we will analyze only the political party
  factor
  

10
ChileFrom Stability to Instability

• To explain the military coup, we need to
  understand what was going on in Chile before.
  
• Freis economic and social policies (1964-1970)
• Eduardo Frei, a Christian Democrat, moderate
  president, very charismatic .
  
• The slogan of his government Revolution in
  Liberty
  
• Economic and social policies? (123-126)
• Did the US and World Bank support his policies?

11
ChileFrom Stability to Instability

• Salvador Allende (1970-1973) The Chilean way
  toward Socialism
  
• Doctor, Socialist, supported by workers and a
  marxist-coalition
  
• 1970 elections
• Socialist (Allende) 36.2
• Conservative (Alessandri) 34.9
• Center (Tomic) 27.8
• The Electoral system problem (winner-take-all, no
  second round)
  
• Economic and social policies?
• Did the US and the World Bank support this
  government?
  

12
ChileThe unexpected outcome

• Before 1960s competition, coalitions, democratic
  politics
  
• During 1970s competition, polarization,
  anti-democratic politics
  
• September 11, 1973
• The military coup was against Chiles Republican
  traditions
  
• The military coup was driven by a strong
  anti-marxist sentiment
  
• Instability explained by
• A) unwillingness to negotiate and achieve
  agreements
  
• B) Extreme polarization among parties
• C) Willingness of military institutions to
  eliminate a sector of society
  
• D) Acceptance of international actors of this
  violent path.