The Legacies of Liberalism

Path Dependence and Political Regimes in Central America
Erscheinungsjahr 2001
ISBN: 978-0-8018-6552-7
Verlag: Johns Hopkins University Press

Buch, Englisch, 416 Seiten, Format (B × H): 163 mm x 237 mm, Gewicht: 671 g

Winner of the Barrington Moore Jr. Prize for the Best Book in Comparative and Historical Sociology from the American Sociological AssociationWinner of the Best Book Award in the Comparative Democratization Section from the American Political Science Association

Despite their many similarities, Central American countries during the twentieth century were characterized by remarkably different political regimes. In a comparative analysis of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua, James Mahoney argues that these political differences were legacies of the nineteenth-century liberal reform period. Presenting a theory of "path dependence," Mahoney shows how choices made at crucial turning points in Central American history established certain directions of change and foreclosed others to shape long-term development.

By the middle of the twentieth century, three types of political regimes characterized the five nations considered in this study: military-authoritarian (Guatemala, El Salvador), liberal democratic (Costa Rica), and traditional dictatorial (Honduras, Nicaragua). As Mahoney shows, each type is the end point of choices regarding state and agrarian development made by these countries early in the nineteenth century. Applying his conclusions to present-day attempts at market creation in a neoliberal era, Mahoney warns that overzealous pursuit of market creation can have severely negative long-term political consequences.

The Legacies of Liberalism presents new insight into the role of leadership in political development, the place of domestic politics in the analysis of foreign intervention, and the role of the state in the creation of early capitalism. The book offers a general theoretical framework that will be of broad interest to scholars of comparative politics and political development, and its overall argument will stir debate among historians of particular Central American countries.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mahoney, James

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Amerikanische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures, Maps, and Tables
Preface
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1. Explaining Political Development in Central America
Chapter 2. The Liberal Reform Period and Its Legacies: A Conceptual Framework
Part II: Antecedent Conditions
Chapter 3. Liberals and Conservatives Before the Reform Period
Chapter 4. Routes to Liberal Political Dominance
Part III: The Liberal Reform Period
Chapter 5. Radical Liberalism: Guatemala and El Salvador
Chapter 6. Reformist Liberalism: Costa Rica
Chapter 7. Aborted Liberalism: Honduras and Nicaragua
Part IV: Legacies of the Liberal Reform Period
Chapter 8. Aftermath: Reactions to the Liberal Reform
Chapter 9. Regime Heritage: Military Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Traditional Dictatorship
Chapter 10. Conclusion: Path Dependence and Political Change
Notes
Select Bibliography of Works on Central American Politics and History
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Mahoney, James
James Mahoney is an assistant professor of sociology at Brown University.

James Mahoney is an assistant professor of sociology at Brown University.