Broken Promises: The Argentine Crisis and Argentine Democracy

(Paperback)

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Description

Argentina is still reeling from the worst economic and political crisis to afflict the nation in its modern history. Since December 2001, the country has been through economic depression and bankruptcy, the impoverishment of half the population, a presidency that changed four times in the span of two weeks, and social protests met by state repression that left dozens dead and hundreds injured.

What brought on this state of affairs What are the primary features of this crisis Who are the key actors And what are the potential ways out of the crisis This volume brings together an assortment of experts to grapple with these questions. Broken Promises traces the political and economic origins of the crisis, considers the reactions of Argentina's security forces during difficult times, reflects on the responses of Argentine society, and concludes with an analysis of Argentina's key relationships with Brazil and the U.S. This edited volume fills a gap in literature concerning the study of contemporary Argentine politics and will be of great interest to students of development, comparative politics, international politics, and Latin American studies.

Reviews

This book represents the first comprehensive account of Argentina's grave 2001 crisis. Epstein and Pion-Berlin have brought together an impressive group of scholars to provide a path-breaking analysis of the origins and dynamics of the crisis, as well as the survival of Argentina's democracy. This book should be read by anyone seeking an authoritative analysis of the behavior of social actors as they respond to political and economic crises. In addition, the insights that this book provides into the role of the police and the military in the face of social protest in a democracy in crisis are exceptional. -- Harold A. Trinkunas, Naval Postgraduate School
Broken Promises is a timely inquiry into every dimension of the Argentine crisis and its aftermath. Written by known scholars and close observers of the Argentine economy, politics, and society, this book should find its way into both undergraduate and graduate classrooms. -- Maria Lorena Cook, Cornell University
Edward Epstein and David Pion-Berlins Broken Promises is a wide-ranging exploration of the forces, policies and organizational actors involved in the profound economic and political crisis that rocked Argentine politics in 2001-2002 and beyond. With contributions from noted Argentine and U.S. scholars, the book encompasses perspectives ranging from philosophical ponderings on neoliberalism and questions of representation, to serious analyses of how Argentinas economic policy went astray, and very detailed, in-depth studies of key players from Argentine society and state, as well as from the international community. The overall composite provides not only many of the pieces necessary to understand the causes, evolution, and aftermath of the crisis itself, but also to understand the Argentina that is emerging from that crisis. This will be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of contemporary Argentine democracy. -- Deborah Norden, Whittier College

Author Bio

Edward Epstein is professor of political science at the University of Utah.
David Pion-Berlin is professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside.