Democracy in Latin America

Mobilization, power and the search for a new politics

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Geraldine Lievesley
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This book is concerned with the nature of contemporary Latin American political culture. In this it adheres to the tradition of the Western liberal democratic paradigm, which considers politics to be a compromise and repudiates ideological, holistic world-views. Thus, in discussing countries which have experienced transitions to constitutional government following periods of military rule, Lawrence Whitehead describes the emergence of 'stalemate' politics: 'reformist, populist or socialist projects had been attempted and had failed; reactionary authoritarian projects had also been attempted and had also failed'. The other perspective is based upon a radical democratic model which is critical of the first approach and advocates popular empowerment. It projects the need for structural transformations of Latin American societies and economies (to avoid needless repetition, this umbrella term is to be understood as including Central America unless otherwise stated), the opening up of political systems and the end of mass marginalization. It thus continues in the Marxist and socialist tradition but searches for new methods and strategies, given the bankruptcy of earlier radical projects. The first model is posited upon a non-participatory view of democracy, with politics being regarded as an elite occupation. A case in point is that of debt and the socio-economic and political implications it has had for Latin America. The major consequence has been the virtually universal application of neo-liberal economic restructuring programmes.

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