Dual Transitions from Authoritarian Rule

An “analytically sophisticated and heavily documented” study of two Latin American countries in their economic and political move toward democracy (Choice).

In 1982, Latin America experienced a region-wide economic collapse that had a drastic effect on governments throughout Central and South America. Many were pushed to the verge of failure, while several of the most authoritarian—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay—went over the brink. Yet somehow, Chile’s repressive military dictatorship and Mexico’s hegemonic civilian regime endured amid the economic chaos.

Dual Transitions from Authoritarian Rule explains why these two regimes survived the upheaval and how each progressed toward a more open, democratic, market-driven system in later years. Using comparative analysis of Chile and Mexico, Francisco González explains that their governments—though different ideologically—shared a type of authoritarian rule that maintained the political status quo while aiding proponents of political and economic liberalization.

Featuring a discussion of parallel phenomena in Brazil, Hungary, Taiwan, and South Korea, Dual Transitions from Authoritarian Rule challenges the received wisdom about sociopolitical and economic change within authoritarian nations.

A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title