Premium Essay

Populism In Latin America

Submitted By
Words 636
Pages 3
The reason for the continuous rise and fall of populist policies throughout Latin America is apparent, yet the best steps have not been taken to put an end to the cycle it has created by those who oppose this style of governing. Oftentimes, populism is underestimated as governments view them as phases in the political process. There is an expectation that these waves will always have a short life cycle, where they will not be instrumental in creating long lasting political strategies (p. 121). De La Torre makes a reference back to the questionable European lens that is often applied to understanding the Latin American situation surrounding populism. The statement that what holds Latin America back the most is the socioeconomic factors surrounding the region does not give enough credit to the uniqueness of the political sphere that exists in these countries.
De La Torre suggests that the focus of the study of populism in Latin America is best explained by highlighting contradictions of the government where rights may be identified by constitutions, but no action is taken to implement them into society (p. 124). To explain how populist leaders continue to reign in support of the …show more content…
Leaders have learned to be careful and intentional in the messages that are given to their supporters, which has led to the successful reoccurrence of populism in Latin America. In recent times, the most influential medium that has helped officials seeking office to spread their ideals has been through the use of mass media. De La Torre clarifies that populist leaders need not rely on overexposure in media in order to catch the attention of voters, as simpler approaches can also yield better results (p.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Populism Research Paper

...choked populism, apt oil, families, and labor counter this. Oil compares to populism because both boomed during the 1950s due to the people. Moreover, how a population reacts to financial needs and business. “Populist” last saw use as a word some sixty years ago, so how did it come back? Historian Richard Hofstadter and humanist Daniel Bell are to blame. These two men revived it when vying anti-elitism and McCarthyism (Kazin). “McCarthyists” watched alien populism in prolific times and booms, like oil. Examples include Libya, Latin America, and Canada. After the war, North America underwent dramatic growth in mining and drilling. Canada’s House of Commons agreed on a means to pump oil with the U.S. in what becomes the...

Words: 484 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Populist Movement

...According to this theory, it is an ideology that makes out the society to be a divided body that consists of two antagonistic groups; the commoners and the corrupt elite. The hate between the masses and the untouchables is driven by the government who uses it as a means of its survival. This gap works to support the politicians as they use it over and over to garner votes. Among the first use of the ideology of populism is in the 1896 presidential elections where the democrat Williams Jennings Bryan used the panic of 1893 in his campaign in which he sought the issue of free silver to solve the economic...

Words: 1027 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Poli 379

...Question 1 Before the 20th century South America had a reputation of military dictatorship, democracy had yet to be discovered. The transition wasn’t smooth but yet most South American countries managed to enter the 20th century with somewhat democratic governments. This essay will consider how in a fresh out of the oven democratic era they were still some countries that were dealing with dictatorship; that oddly enough operated in very different ways but the result was the same: One man had full power and control over his state. More specifically this essay will study Venezuela and Chile, Hugo Chavez and Augusto Pinochet, populism and authoritarianism which in a remarkable yet fairly different way narrows it down to the same result: Presidents who made their way to the top and managed to become dictators of their states. Throughout time they way governments have chosen to govern their states has been based on different political ideologies that were shaped over history. This essay will focus particularly on Authoritarianism and Populism. Venezuela had an example of a dictator, which some Venezuelan considered a hero, who based is political career promoting populism as the best way to rule a country. On the other hand you have Chile a country that today remembers the darkest years of their history inflicted by Pinochet an authoritarian that took over power through no democratic mean at all, and forced his way to the top. Firstly becoming familiar with the political ideologies...

Words: 2901 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Globalisation and Inequality

...My task is to talk about globalization and inequality in developing countries, with emphasis on Latin America. I have a simple point to make: globalization puts developing countries at risk of increasing income inequality. The increase in inequality in the United States over the last 25 years (during which the income of the poorest 20 percent of households has fallen in real terms by about 15 percent) has been blamed, rightly or wrongly, on changes in trade, technology and migration patterns associated with increasing economic integration with other countries. For developing countries, any risk of increasing inequality associated with active participation in the global economy is even greater, if only because of the greater inherent institutional weaknesses associated with being poor. Latin America has a special disadvantage: its historical legacy of already high inequality. Inequality that is already high complicates the task of effective conflict management, which Dani Rodrik has just reminded us is a critical input to managing open economies. In the past, for example, high inequality combined with the politics of redistribution led to periodic bouts of populism in Latin America – ineffective and counterproductive efforts to manage the conflicts provoked by the dangerous combination of high inequality and hard times. Let me start with two prefatory remarks. First, globalization – that is the trend of increasing integration of economies in terms not only of goods and services...

Words: 295 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Strategic Implications from the People’s Republic of China’s Influence in the Americas: Potential Consequences Facing the United States, Brazil &Venezuela

...the People’s Republic of China’s Influence in the Americas: Potential Consequences facing the United States, Brazil &Venezuela Abstract This research seeks to examine the strategic implications facing the United States of America’s due to its benign interest in the Caribbean and Latin America (Americas) given the People’s Republic of China (China) increasing economic interest in the region. It is intended to first define the current security environment of the Americas and the relations between Brazil and Venezuela with that of the United States of America (United States) and China. Thereafter, China’s economic and domestic agenda in the Americas will be examined with hypotheses of the emerging global power potential growth success, challenges or possible collapse in her foreign policy. The likely consequences facing Brazil, Venezuela and the United States will also be examined. The assessment will be done across a continuum of China’s realized economic growth, development of hostile relations due to competition for scarce energy sources or possible collapse due to the country’s internal problems. Finally, the research seeks to encourage proactive thinking by the United States on China’s increasing political and military influence in the region and its possible underlying agenda of becoming the next global super power or hegemony. Introduction A general perception persists in the Caribbean and Latin America that the United States is disinterested in the...

Words: 9457 - Pages: 38

Free Essay

Crime in Caracas

...Crime in Caracas Individuals are not only shaped by social factors, but through cultural and environmental factors as well. Societies are constantly changing, and there are many issues and trends that are confronting the global society today. Through sociological perspectives and concepts, one can better understand what is causing these world issues. By studying these perspectives and concepts, students can see how the physical environment and society affect the life choices of individuals. There are a number of countries located in Latin America. Among these countries, there are a number of sociological issues facing the population of Venezuela. The issue that is most important is the violent crime rate of its capital city. The violent crime rate is said to be one of the top five causes of death in Latin America. Homicides, kidnapping, and burglary are among the main types of crime in these countries (Beato). With a population well over twenty-four million, it is no wonder that violent crime is an issue in Venezuela. The country has one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the world; Caracas, which is the capital of Venezuela, has just recently been named the world’s most dangerous city (Spengler). Armed robberies take place in broad daylight throughout this city, including areas frequented by tourists and generally presumed safe. A common technique of a criminal is to choke the victim into unconsciousness and then rob them of all their belongings. Well armed...

Words: 905 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Inequality in Latin America

...Although Latin America has faced many social, political, and economic issues within the last three centuries, inequality remains one of the most important, historical, and omnipresent aspects of the region’s culture. As Europeans took over Latin America during the time of colonization, they implemented many elitist social structures that have held strong and are evident today (Harris). Income inequality is the most visible and greatest disparity that the region faces; yet inequality between gender, ethnicities, and education remain strong and significant problems with a necessity for improvement. Inequality of wealth and disparity of power and influence are Latin American’s greatest curses and are at the root of many of the developmental, social, criminal, and political problems that continue to plague the region (De Ferranti). Since inequality has pervaded into every feature of Latin American society, it is important to measure inequality accurately in order to obstruct the causes of the discrimination and prevent new ones from beginning. The Gini Coefficient is an effective way that people indicate the inequality of a country by measuring a frequency distribution of income or wealth. Using the "Gini Index" of inequality in the distribution of income and consumption, the researchers found that Latin America and the Caribbean, from the 1970s through the 1990s, measured nearly 10 points more unequal than Asia, 17.5 points more unequal than the 30 countries in the Organization...

Words: 3191 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Globalization

...GLOBALIZATION BACKLASH AND THE RISE OF ANTI-HEGEMONIC PARTY STATES Diego Olstein Hebrew University of Jerusalem Contents Introduction: Globalization and Anti-Hegemonic Party State………………………………..5 Part I: Principle Chapter 1: Defining Anti-Hegemonic Party State………………………………………………….18 Chapter 2: Anti-Hegemonic Party State and Domestic Features of Political Regimes…………………………………………………………………………………………… 44 Chapter 3: Anti-Hegemonic Party State and Exogenous Perspective on Political Regimes……………………………………………………………………………………………75 Part II: History Chapter 4: The Global Rise of Anti-Hegemonic Party States and Globalization Backlash 1917-1945...…………………………………………………………….91 Chapter 5: The Big Leap of Anti-Hegemonic Party States: The Second Wave 1946-1975…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………111 Chapter 6: Globalization Anew and the Marginalization of Anti-Hegemonic Party States 1976-2010………………………………………………………142 Conclusions Introduction: Globalization and Anti-Hegemonic Party State In 1997 the European Commission defined Globalization “as the process by which markets and production in different countries are becoming increasingly interdependent due to the dynamics of trade in goods and services and flows of capital and technology. It is not a new phenomenon but the continuation...

Words: 33126 - Pages: 133

Premium Essay

My Paper

...or a group of people (grammatically, a suppletive plural and collective noun; e.g. "some people are..."), or otherwise for groups with particular unifying traits, qualities, properties, or characteristics (e.g. the people of Spain, or the people of the Plains). as a singular for an indefinite ethnic group or nation (e.g. "a people is...") Because the word people often refers to abstract and general types of groups, the word persons is sometimes used in place of people, especially when it would be ambiguous with its collective sense (e.g. missing persons instead of people). It can collectively refer to all humans or it can be used to identify a certain ethnic or religious group. For example, "people of color" is a phrase used in North America to describe non-whites.[1] Contents [hide] 1 In philosophy and theory 2 In politics 3 In law 4 See also 5 Footnotes In philosophy and theoryThe concept of personhood (who is a person within a society) is the fundamental component of any selective concept of people. A distinction is maintained in philosophy and law between the notions "human being", or "man", and "person". The former refers to the species, while the latter refers to a rational agent (see, for example, John Locke's Essay concerning Human Understanding II 27 and Immanuel Kant's Introduction to the Metaphysic of Morals). Central issues of interest to people are the understanding of the human condition and the meaning of life, and survival. Religion, philosophy...

Words: 1010 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Pregnancy During Dirty War

...Pregnancy during the Dirty Wars The Dirty War in Argentina started as a result of economic and political insecurity that ensued from public disorder beginning in 1969 (Chasteen). The Dirty War lasted from 1976 to 1983 and began as a result of a military coup of a government that was put into action during the presidency of Isabel Martinez de Peron in 1974. The purpose of the military coup was to develop a stabilized government by systematically removing leftist activists, seen to be “terrorists” (Finchelstein). The Dirty War involved the systematic kidnapping, murder, and torture of thousands of citizens including pregnant women and children. The Dirty War involved kidnapping, murder, and torture of thousands of citizens that were virtually invisible to the public and as a result called "disappearances”. Captives from all walks of life were systematically tortured, raped and murdered, sometimes drowned and other times buried in mass graves. Approximately 30% of the disappeared were women. Some were abducted with their small children, and some were pregnant, or became so while in detention, usually through rape by guards and torturers (Finchelstein). Pregnant prisoners were routinely kept alive until they had given birth. Hundreds of pregnant women were forced to give birth in secret detention centers before “disappearing.” Subsequently their newborns were given to military families or allies, who raised them with a completely different identity. Many...

Words: 1100 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mass Media

...Since the 1990s, Zambia has experienced drastic political, social and economic changes, these changes have proliferated in the media industry more especially radio broadcasting. The need for community radio stations in Zambia has risen over the past few years this is because radio is still the dominant mass-medium in Zambia and Globally. It has the widest geographical reach and the highest audiences as compared to television, newspapers and other information and communication technologies. Radio seems to have proven itself as a developmental tool, particularly with the rise of community and local radios. Therefore, its from this background that this article…. A community radio station is a type of community mass media. The different types of mass media in Zambia can be classified under print, broadcast and electronic media. A community radio station is defined as a non-profit distributing which is designed to serve specific communities of location and interest, thereby providing programming that is relevant to the community, and with management structures that represent the community the station serves. (Lewis and Jones, 2006). It is operated in the community, for the community, about the community and by the community. It is said to be a sound broadcasting station that serves a specific section of society known as a community. The ownership and management of a community radio station is representative of the community that persues a social development agenda and which is non-profit...

Words: 1550 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Peron Pinochet

...will provide the framework for this study. Both leaders exhibited staggering amounts of power and influence in their countries, though achieved by different means. Much study has been devoted to Perón and Pinochet, however two main sources will be referenced for this essay; “ Manana es San Perón: A Cultural History of Perón’s Argentina”, written by Mariano Ben Plotkin and “ A Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet “, written by Pamela Constable and Arturo Valenzeula. Both books examine each respective regime and the lengths they went to procure their nations national identity. The power wielded by Parón and Pinochet was truly astonishing and changed the political and cultural landscape not only of Argentina and Chile, but all of South America. Before examining the cases of Juan Perón and Augusto Pinochet one must first understand the historical timeframe in which each served as well as their vastly different ascents to power. Juan Perón emerged as one of the main leaders of the Grupo de Oficiales Unidos (GOU). The group was made up of midlevel military officers, and was responsible for the overthrow of Argentine President Ramón Castillo on June 4, 1943. Peron took the position of National Labor Officer, and later served...

Words: 2398 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Freedom's Boundaries, at Home and Abroad

...Freedom's Boundaries, at Home and Abroad, 1890-1900 Chapter 17 Outline I. THE POPULIST CHALLENGE A. The Farmers' Revolt 1. Agricultural prices were falling and growing economic dependency created instablities. 2. The Farmers' Alliance was formed to end agricultural dependence of farmers from bankers and merchants. B. The People's Party 1. The Farmers' Alliance became the People's Party for Populists in the early 1890s. a. Not only did they gain support of the farmers, but they also gained support from miners and industrial workers. 2. The Populists began spreading information, through pamphlets on political and economic questions, in an effort of community organization and education. 3. The Populists incorportated modern technologies such as the railroad, the telegraph, and the national market. C. The Populist Platform 1. The platform proposed a list of actions to restore democracy and economic opportunity, such as: a. The direct election of U.S. senators, government control of the currency, a system of low-cost public financing, a graduated income tax, and recognition of the right of workers to form labor unions. b. They called for public ownership of the railroads to guarantee farmers' inexpensive access to markets for their crops. D. The Populist Coalition 1. The Populists made attempts to unite black and white farmers on similar political and economic issues. 2. Many blacks declined...

Words: 1862 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

The Great Plain

...The Great Plains— To the Point Geography- West of the MS River *1800 Territory in the plains included North Dakota & South Dakota, Nebraska, and states such as Texas * Great Plains had very hot summers and very cold winters, very rainfall which droughts few sources of water very few trees - conditions not fit for farming *Before the late 1800s U.S. settlers did not settle the plains. Farming The Plains *Farming the plains was difficult * Gov’t encourage settlement by passing the Homestead Act -$160 acres -$10 registration fee - live on farm land for 5 yrs *Houses was made of sod because of lack of trees Farming Technologies - Cast Iron wingmill- allowed them to pump waterfrom wells. - Steel plow- to wooden plow would break in dry hard earth of the plains Cattle Industry Mechanical binder- tied and cut the grains or crops simultaneously - barbed wire- replaced wooden fences Rise of cattle industry -abundance of cattle in Great Plain -herd of cattle numbering about 2,500 were taken on long drive (cattle trails such as the chilsoln trail which was San Antonio, Texas to Abliene, Kansas) to Ship stations in Kansas and Missouri -African American Cowhand- Nat Love Decline Of cattle industry -overgrazing -overproduction costs the product to drop -weather (droughts, blizzards) -barbed wire led to development of cattle ranches             ...

Words: 2076 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Political Economy in the Developmental State: Comparison on Comprehensive Agrarian Reform in the Philippines to Select Latin American and East Asian Countries

...Introduction Following the end of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, a new hope had dawned in the eyes of the Filipino people. A new president was put into power, along with a list of demands and requests by citizens, ultimately seeking a new direction leading to a better life. One of the issues needed to be tackled was the longstanding problems in the agriculture sector. Considered an integral part in the country’s economy, the agriculture sector accounts a significant portion of the total employment, which ranged from 45-50% during the 1980s. On the other hand, this sector also attributed significant portions of the total poor in the country for decades. Thus, in June 1988, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was signed into law, paving the way for extensive land distribution and reforms which communist insurgencies urged during the Marcos regime. Consequently, the initial stages of the implementation process of CARP was met with apparent complications, expectedly so given that such a policy entailed a wide scope, whilst rural landlords provided staunch opposition in seizing their ownership to government. However, as the years passed and administrations would change, the promises of sweeping agrarian reform have remained unfinished, otherwise, significantly watered down. Such arbitration would be considered a detrimental factor to the current pitfalls that have hindered the development of Philippine political economy. In that, this paper questions what led to this...

Words: 6579 - Pages: 27