POLITICAL SCIENCE 154B: SOUTH AMERICAN POLITICS
Fall 1999
Professor Geddes TA: Jodi Finkel
Office hours: Tu 11-12 jfinkel@ucla.edu
3339 Bunche, 825-4441
geddes@ucla.edu
Most South American countries pursued strongly interventionist economic strategies and suffered repeated and sometimes prolonged and violent military interventions in politics during much of the twentieth century. This course will explore why these interventions occurred and the relationship between economic policy and political instability. We will focus primarily on Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, and on the most recent cycle of democracy-authoritarianism-redemocratization. We will look at the way the democracies in these countries functioned between the end of World War II and the onset of authoritarian interludes, with special emphasis on the relationship between economic policies and support for democracy. We will examine explanations for the emergence of very repressive forms of authoritarianism during the 1960s and 1970s.
In the second half of the class, we will focus on the processes of redemocratization and economic reform that have occurred in much of South America during the eighties and nineties. We will assess the effects of the economic reforms in terms of winners and losers, and we will consider how the prospects for democratic stability are affected by changes in economic development strategy. The final section of the course will focus on current problems, especially corruption, the rise of elected strongmen (e.g., Fujimori in Peru and Ch«vez in Venezuela), and challenges to established party systems.
Grades will be based on a take-home midterm, a 5-10 page research paper, and an in-class final. Only in case of illness or other extreme circumstances will a final be given at any time other than that scheduled. If you cannot take the final for this class at the scheduled time, do not sign up for the class.
Required text: Gary Wynia, The Politics of Latin American Development, available at the ASUCLA store
A Reader of xeroxed articles and excerpts, which may be bought at Westwood Copies, on Gayley near Weyburn.
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments
Week I, Thursday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 5
Democracy in Latin America: Basic Features
Wynia, pp. 24-136 and 335-36 (Keep in mind as you read this that this book was last updated in 1990. It provides good background for thinking about politics in Latin America, but be aware that some things have changed since 1990.).
Week II, Thursday, October 7 and Tuesday, October 12
Economic Policy and Political Instability: Competing Views
O"Donnell, Modernization and Bureaucratic Authoritarianism, pp. 55-111,
Skidmore, "The Politics of Economic Stabilization in Post-War Latin America,"
Kreuger, Economic Policy Reform in Developing Countries, pp. 1-58,
all in xeroxed reader
Wynia, pp. 193-213
CHOOSE COUNTRIES ON WHICH RESEARCH PAPER WILL FOCUS BY OCT.12
Week III, Thursday, October 14 and Tuesday, October 19
The Breakdown of Democracy in Chile and Argentina
Wynia, pp. 167-92 and 249-63
Constable and Valenzuela, A Nation of Enemies: Chile under Pinochet, pp. 9-63., and
O'Donnell, "An Impossible 'Game': Party Competition in Argentina, 1955-66," both in xeroxed reader
Week IV, Thursday, October 21 and Tuesday, October 26
The Military and Democratic Breakdown in Brazil
Wynia, pp. 214-27
Stepan, The Military in Politics, pp. 57-212, in xeroxed reader
MIDTERM WILL BE PASSED OUT October 26
Week V, Thursday, October 28 and Tuesday, November 2
Oct. 28: Review: Alternative Explanations for Military Intervention
(review and catch up; no new reading this week)
Nov. 2: The Nature of Military Rule in South America
MIDTERM DUE November 2, at beginning of class
Week VI, Thursday, November 4 and Tuesday, November 9
Redemocratization
Wynia, pp. 227-46, 263-83
Vacs, "Authoritarian Breakdown and Redemocratization in Argentina";
Skidmore, "Brazil's Slow Road to Democratization, 1974-1985;" and
Valenzuela and Constable, "Democracy in Chile," all in xeroxed reader
ONE-PAGE RESEARCH DESIGN DUE TUE, NOV 9, at beginning of class
Week VII, Thursday November 11 and Tuesday November 16
Theories of Democratization
Przeworski and Limongi, “Modernization: Theories and Facts,” and
Geddes, “What Do We Know about Democratization after Twenty Years?” both in xerox reader
Week VIII, Thursday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 23
Economic Policy Reform: What and Why
Kreuger, Economic Policy Reform in Developing Countries, review pp. 1-58; read
pp. 69-73 and 146-59, in xeroxed reader
Thanksgiving Holiday Thursday, November 25
Week IX, Tuesday November 30 and Thursday December 5
The Relationship Between Economic Liberalization and Democratization
Remmer, "The Political Economy of Elections in Latin America,"
Geddes, "The Politics of Economic Liberalization";
Geddes, "Challenging Conventional Wisdom"; and
Gervasoni, "Economic Policy and Electoral Performance in Latin America after the 1982 Debt Crisis," all in xeroxed reader
Week X, Tuesday, December 7 and Thursday, December 9
RESEARCH PAPER DUE DEC. 7, at beginning of class
Current Challenges: Corruption, Elected Strongmen, and the Disintegration of Established Party Systems
Manzetti and Blake, “Market Reforms and Corruption in Latin America: New Means for Old Ways,”
Geddes and Ribeiro, “Institutional Sources of Corruption in Brazil,”
Weyland, “The Politics of Corruption in Latin America”
FINAL EXAM: Friday, December 17, 11:30-2:30