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.
General
Imprint: |
Johns Hopkins University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2002 |
First published: |
2001 |
Authors: |
James Mahoney
(Associate Professor)
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 22mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
416 |
Edition: |
Revised |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8018-7105-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Politics & government >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8018-7105-0 |
Barcode: |
9780801871054 |
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