Elites and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America and Southern Europe

by John Higley, Richard Gunther

Overview

Employing a framework that focuses on the actions and choices of elites in creating consolidated democracies, a distinguished group of scholars examines Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Without ignoring the roles of mass publics and institutions, the authors conclude that in independent states with long records of political instability and authoritarian rule, democratic consolidation requires the achievement of elite "consensual unity"—that is, agreement among all politically important elites on the worth of existing democratic institutions and respect for democratic rules-of-the-game, coupled with increased "structural integration" among those elites.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521413749
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/29/1991
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.53(h) x 0.98(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction: Elite transformations and democratic regimes Michael Burton, Richard Gunther and John Higley; 2. Spain: the very model of the modern elite settlement Richard Gunther; 3. Elite settlements and democratic consolidation: Colombia, Costa Rica and Venezuela John A. Peeler; 4. Mexico's elite settlement: conjuncture and consequences Alan Knight; 5. Elite unification and democratic consolidation in Italy: an historical overview Maurizio Cotta; 6. The role of civil-military pacts in elite settlements and elite convergences: democratic consolidation in Uruguay Charles Guy Gillespie; 7. Patterns of elite negotiation and confrontation in Argentina and Chile Marcelo Cavarozzi; 8. Elites in an unconsolidated democracy: Peru during the 1980s Henry Hietz; 9. Brazil's political transition Thomas Bruneau; 10. Redefining the Portuguese transition to democracy Lawrence S. Graham; 11. The Dominican case Peter Sanchez; 12. Elites and democratic consolidation in Latin America and Southern Europe: an overview Michael Burton, Richard Gunther and John Higley.

Editorial Reviews

"The historical context is one of the more interesting and important contributions made by the Higley-Gunther volume since it provides a very handy political history of the recent past across a very wide range of countries. Moreover, the editors have imposed a more consistent theoretical framework than is usual in such collections...and the Higley-Gunther theory is in itself an interesting one...The editors and the authors of the case studies have been very careful in almost all cases to engage the theory in their specific cases and this makes for a very stimulating overall product." Kenneth Maxwell, Council on Foreign Relations

"There is surprising consistency in the excellence of the volume's content, interpretation, and even in its writing style. Another virtue is the clear focus the editors have imparted to the work in their introductory and concluding chapters, and also apparently, in their introductions to the contributors...The volume really does center on the issue of the degree to which agreements among the elites are a major causal factor in democratic consolidation...An excellent volume, discussing important problems over a wide range of countries with intelligence and style." Edward Malefakis, Columbia University

"This is a very useful compendium for historians, as well as for political scientists." Martin C. Needler, American Political Science Review

"This is a very useful compendium for historians, as well as for political scientists." Martin C. Needler, American Political Science Review

"...a valuable contribution to the burgeoning literature on democratization by insightfully exploring the role that political elites play in the process of democratic consolidation." Journal of Democracy

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