The legacies of liberalism : path dependence and political regimes in Central America / James Mahoney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mahoney, James, 1968-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democratization.

Liberalism.

Politics and government.

Central America--Politics and government--20th century.

Central America.

Liberalism--Central America.

Democratization--Central America.

Comparative government.

Physical Description:

xv, 396 pages : maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.

Summary:

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 regime 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.

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.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Explaining Political Development in Central America 3

Chapter 2 The Liberal Reform Period and Its Legacies: A Conceptual Framework 29

Part II Antecedent Conditions

Chapter 3 Liberals and Conservatives before the Reform Period 53

Chapter 4 Routes to Liberal Political Dominance 72

Part III The Liberal Reform Period

Chapter 5 Radical Liberalism: Guatemala and El Salvador 111

Chapter 6 Reformist Liberalism: Costa Rica 142

Chapter 7 Aborted Liberalism: Honduras and Nicaragua 165

Part IV Legacies of the Liberal Reform Period

Chapter 8 Aftermath: Reactions to the Liberal Reform 197

Chapter 9 Regime Heritage: Military Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Traditional Dictatorship 236

Chapter 10 Conclusion: Path Dependence and Political Change 264.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 351-385) and index.

ISBN:

0801865522

OCLC:

44934110