The Collapse of Venezuela : Scorched Earth Politics and Economic Decline, 2012-2020 / Francisco Rodríguez.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rodríguez, Francisco, 1970- author.

Series:

Kellogg Institute series on democracy and development.

Kellogg Institute Series on Democracy and Development Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Populism--Venezuela--History--21st century.

Populism.

Venezuela--Economic conditions--1958-.

Venezuela.

Venezuela--Politics and government--1999-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (0 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Notre Dame, Indiana : University of Notre Dame Press, [2025]

Summary:

The Collapse of Venezuela documents Venezuela's economic implosion as politicians adopted strategies that severely harmed the economy in their struggle for power. Between 2012 and 2020, Venezuela suffered the largest economic contraction ever documented outside of wartime. This collapse was caused not just by the failure of an economic model but also the deeper failure of its political system to manage the conflicts inherent to a polarized society. The Collapse of Venezuela argues that when the stakes of power are high, politicians have an incentive to adopt political strategies that directly harm the economy. Author Francisco Rodriguez describes these scorched earth strategies and shows how politicians used these methods to target the Venezuelan economy in their fight for power. Ultimately, the conflicting sides have trapped the economy in a catastrophic stalemate that has destroyed the country's living standards and turned the economy into a political battlefield. By charting Venezuela's experience with scorched earth politics, Rodriguez reveals an essential cautionary tale for other democracies around the globe.

Contents:

Intro

THE COLLAPSE OF VENEZUELA

CONTENTS

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Abbreviations

Preface

PART I. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

ONE How Economies Self-Destruct

TWO The Great Contraction

THREE Scorched Earth Politics

PART II. THE UNRAVELING OF VENEZUELA'S POPULIST EXPERIMENT, 2012-2015

FOUR Populism Unplugged

FIVE Enter Maduro

SIX Living Dangerously

SEVEN Elections, the Stakes of Power, and Economic Policies

PART III. THE DESCENT INTO ECONOMICALLY DESTRUCTIVE POLITICAL CONFLICT, 2016-2020

EIGHT Becoming Toxic

NINE Sanctioning Venezuela

TEN Politicians without Borders

PART IV. EXTENDING THE FRAMEWORK

ELEVEN Scorched Earth Politics beyond Venezuela

TWELVE Venezuela beyond Scorched Earth Politics

Notes

References

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780268209049

0268209049

9780268209032

0268209030