Case Studies in Latin American Political Economy Julia Buxton, Nicola Phillips

Latin America has traditionally been dominated by state-led models of economic development within authoritarian political systems. Lately there has been a radical reorientation of economic policy, with the application of neo-liberalism as an increasingly standard feature, alongside the displacement of military authoritarianism and a process of re-democratization. This volume provides a fresh, informative analysis of a range of Latin American countries--Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuelaand Mexico--in a period of intensive political and economic change. Moving beyond historical narratives, the volume explores the application and impact of free market policies, examining the factors that influenced or inhibited their adoption in the 1980s and 1990s.