Chile: A Divided Nation Poli 332 Max Cameron March 10, 2016

Structure

Process

Chile: Historical Periods A Century of Oligarchic Rule ( ) Populism, ISI, Incorporation ( ) Revolution and Crisis ( ) Military Rule and Neoliberalism ( ) Redemocratization ( ) Chile’s Left Turn (2000- )

1. Century of Oligarchic Rule Distant realm of Spanish empire Relatively homogeneous population Brief period of anarchy after independence 1833 Constitution creates oligarchic rule under Diego Portales Constitution has property & literacy restriction Oligarchy endures for 100 years

2. Populism, ISI, Incorporation President Arturo Alessandri ( , 1925, ) seeks early investments in social citizenship: labour code, social security, housing Constitution (lasted until military regime) Carlos Ibañez ( ), resigns in 1931 – 17 months military rule Depression 1930 – adoption of ISI Labour movement militant but organizationally weak. Forms CUT in s-1970s reformist governments (Popular Front in late 1930s-) (See Teichman p. 303).

3. Revolution and Crisis Failure of reforms under Christian Democrats of Eduardo Frei ( ) 1970: Allende wins with 36 percent of vote The “democratic road” to socialism Populist economics Nationalization of copper and other foreign firms US destabilization - role of Nixon/Kissenger Coup in most violent in Latin America

4. Military Rule of Neoliberalism Highly repressive - response to level of threat perception. Not a BA regime, but not entirely personalist either Legal dilemmas: defender or destroyer of the constitution? 1980 authoritarian constitution 1988 plebiscite Elections 1990 – no wins

Neoliberalism in Chile Forerunner of neoliberalism (“Chicago Boys”) Under military rule unionized members of the economically active population dropped from 41 to 9 percent labour code restricted union activities Reversal of land reform, spending cuts, trade liberalized, banking liberalized, reforms to education, pensions, and healthcare

5. Redemocratization Concertación was an alliance of Christian Democrats and Socialists and Popular Party for Democracy (exclusion of Communists) Promised growth with equity but under a neoliberal model Binomial electoral system guarantees right-wing influence (Teichman, p. 312) Truth Commission (Rettig) Aylwin Frei Lagos Bachelet Piñera Bachelet, 2014-

6. Chile’s Left Turn Lagos & Bachelet Constitutional reform 2005 Reforms to pensions, education, tax system Few participatory mechanisms Symptoms of malaise: apathy, lack of party- society linkages Bachelet promises new constitution

Assessing Pinochet’s Legacy Pros: Economic model has brought prosperity Neoliberalism has meant a more moderate left Chile a model social democracy Cons: Inequality and exclusion persist Chile has always had strong institutions Remains one of less democratic countries in S. America