GSIS monograph series in world affairs
1 total work
Changing Authoritarian Rule and Public Policy in Argentina, 1930-70
by Benjamin A. Most
Published 31 December 1991
This book explores the links between changing types of authoritarian rule and shifting public policies in Argentina from 1930 to 1970. Two contrasting arguments - a "who governs" authoritarian and a "who cares who governs" bureaucratic model - are integrated in a formulation that predicts the contexts in which the contrasting theses should be useful for understanding public policies. Most's study indicates that, although dominant coalitions and political elites were important in determining what policies were made, for whom, and at whose expense, during the early part of the 1930-1970 interval, "who governed" at the top lost much of its significance once the Argentine system became highly bureaucratized, political elites became unstable, resources ceased to be readily available, and a stalemate developed among opposing, non-bureaucratic actors in the policymaking arena. As his integrated thesis predicted, coalitions and leaders came and went, but public policy became increasingly based on what had been done before.
In an introductory chapter, Luigi Manzetti situates Most's work within the context of the literature on both authoritarian rule and public policy published during the last half-decade. He also relates it to events in Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s.
In an introductory chapter, Luigi Manzetti situates Most's work within the context of the literature on both authoritarian rule and public policy published during the last half-decade. He also relates it to events in Argentina in the 1970s and 1980s.