Politics of Freeing Markets in Latin America - by Judith a Teichman (Paperback)

About the Book

Politics of Freeing Markets in Latin America: Chile, Argentina, and Mexico

Book Synopsis

In the 1980s and 1990s, nations throughout Latin America experienced the dual transformations of market liberalizing reforms and democratization. Since then, perhaps no issue has been more controversial among those who study the region than the exact nature of the relationship between these two processes. Bringing a much-needed comparative perspective to the discussion, Judith Teichman examines the politics of market reform in Chile, Argentina, and Mexico, analyzing its implications for democratic practices in each case.

Teichman considers both internal and external influences on the process of Latin American market reform, anchoring her investigation in the historical, political, and cultural contexts unique to each country, while also highlighting the important role played by such international actors as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Informed by interviews with more than one hundred senior officials involved in the reform process, her analysis reveals that while the initial stage of market reform is associated with authoritarian political practices, later phases witness a rise in the importance of electoral democracy. She concludes, however, that the legacy of authoritarian decision making represents a significant obstacle to substantive democratization.

Review Quotes

Judith Teichman has once again applied her deep insights into Latin American political economy to understand a crucial problem: how governments can take the next, very difficult steps to consolidate the liberalization reforms that have stalled in many countries of the region. (William Ascher, Claremont McKenna Colleg)

This superbly crafted book offers a fascinating and accessible account of the politics of market reforms in Latin America. (Maxwell A. Cameron, University of British Columbia)

About the Author

Judith A. Teichman is professor of political science at the University of Toronto. She is author of Policymaking in Mexico: From Boom to Crisis and Privatization and Political Change in Mexico.