Latin American Experiments in Neoconservative Economics

Latin American Experiments in Neoconservative Economics explores the emergence and implementation of radical conservative economic policies in Latin America during the late 20th century, focusing on the experiments in Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. These policies, marked by a combination of monetarist economic stabilization and long-term structural changes, were carried out under authoritarian regimes that repressed dissent and centralized political authority. The book examines how these governments sought to combat extreme inflation and economic instability by implementing drastic measures such as reducing government expenditures, privatizing industries and social services, and emphasizing free-market principles.

A central theme of the book is the interplay between short-term stabilization goals and long-term structural reforms. By analyzing the Chilean "Chicago experiment" as a pivotal case, the author delves into the ideological foundations and economic performance of these policies. The book critiques the piecemeal evaluation of monetarist approaches, arguing that such methods fail to account for the broader socio-political transformations these policies entailed. By blending political economy with conventional economics, the study provides a nuanced understanding of how authoritarian governments leveraged conservative economic programs to reshape society, offering both an assessment of their economic impact and an invitation for further research into their enduring legacy.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983.