Description
Can Latin America's 'new left' stimulate economic development, enhance social equity, and deepen democracy in spite of the economic and political constraints it faces? This is the first book to systematically examine the policies and performance of the left-wing governments that have risen to power in Latin America during the last decade. Featuring thorough studies of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela by renowned experts, the volume argues that moderate leftist governments have attained greater, more sustainable success than their more radical, contestatory counterparts. Moderate governments in Brazil and Chile have generated solid economic growth, reduced poverty and inequality, and created innovative and fiscally sound social programs, while respecting the fundamental principles of market economics and liberal democracy. By contrast, more radical governments, exemplified by Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, have expanded state intervention and popular participation and attained some short-term economic and social successes.
Chapter
The central task and dilemma of the left
Efforts to stimulate economic development despite the strictures of globalization
Efforts to promote social justice despite resource constraints
Attempts to deepen democracy without undermining it
Democracy as the most fundamental concern
Causes of moderation versus contestatory postures
Organizational Characteristics of Governing Parties
Institutional Setting and State of Party System
The Impact of Market Reform
Natural Resource Endowments
Consequences for Leftist Policy Orientations
Contributions of the volume
The organization of the volume
2 The Repeating Revolution
New politics: increasing the costs of being in the opposition
Formal Expansion of Presidential Powers: The 1999 Constitution
Postconstitutional Informal Expansion of Presidential Powers
The 2007 Constitutional Reform Referendum
The “Coup” against Elected Opposition Leaders
Social Policies, Clientelism, and Cronyism
The Ax-Relax-Collapse Cycle All Over Again
Why economic mismanagement today is less threatening to regime survival
3 The Challenge of Progressive Change under Evo Morales
Procedural Differences: Disagreeing on the Rules
Substantive Differences: New Constitution and Draft Statutes
Changing the neoliberal model
An Eclectic Policy Agenda
Nationalization and Increased Government Take
Expanded Social Transfers and Increased Public Investment
Challenges beyond the neoliberal model
Bolivias Position in the Global Economy
Missed opportunities: fair, organic, and biotrade, and alliances between producers
Politics, Part of the Solution
Politics, the Tipping Point
The Challenge of Progressive Change
4 The Chilean Left in Power
Political constraints and management
Social policy and labor legislation
Lula and the pt in brazil: what is a leftist party?
From collor to lula: lessons about stability
The pt’s performance in numbers, 2003–08
Macroeconomic Data and Policy
Social Indicators and Policy
Economic growth and poverty
Income transfer programs and poverty (nonlabor income)
Public investment and poverty
PT Performance vis-à-vis Institutions
6 Lula’s Administration at a Crossroads
The consolidation of a new pattern of capital accumulation
Public perceptions of brazil’s socioeconomic and political situation
Assessment of President Lula da Silva and his Government
Prospects of Future Economic Growth
Overall Assessment of the Socioeconomic and Political Situation
The limitations of the current public agenda
The need for a new development model
7 The Policies and Performance of the Contestatory and Moderate Left
Characteristics, environments, and strategies of the two lefts
Political strategies and performance
Institutional reform efforts
Relations with the opposition
Efforts at mass inclusion
Overall assessment of democratic performance
Economic policy and performance
Efforts to transform the market model
Evaluation of economic performance
Social policy and performance
Determined redistribution?
Equity-enhancing programs
Performance on social indicators
The performance of other left-leaning governments in latin america
preliminary answers to big questions
Leftist Governments in Latin America
：Successes and Shortcomings
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