Latijns-Amerika tussen dictatuur en democratie. Theorieën en onderzoeksresultaten bij recente ontwikkelingen

Samenvatting

A review of several explanations for recent fluctuations in the democratic performance of Latin American nations. Modernization theory appears to be untenable; & rather strong evidence is found in favor of the proposition that economic decline contributed to the authoritarian trend of the 1960s & 1970s. The dependency theory of Latin American politics is also criticized. Special attention is given to the finding that economic decline precedes democratic reversals. The future of the newly democratic nations in Latin America is discussed. It is argued that surmounting the economic problems will stabilize the regimes, whereas a continuation of their economic slumps will bring back the installment of authoritarian governments. 10 Tables, 1 Figure, 70 References. Modified HA