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This groundbreaking book delves into the underexplored realm of agrarian elites and their relationship to democracy in Latin America. With a fresh perspective and new theory, it examines the strategies these elites use to gain an advantage in the democratic system. The book provides a detailed examination of when and how agrarian elites participate in the electoral arena to protect their interests, including a novel non-partisan electoral strategy. By providing a deeper understanding of how democratic institutions can be used to protect economic interests, this book adds to the ongoing debate on the relationship between economic elites, democracy, and redistribution. Agrarian Elites and Democracy in Latin America is a must-read for anyone interested in politics, democracy, inequality, and economic power in the Global South.
List of contents
1. Introduction; 2. A theory of Agrarian Elites' political participation; 3. Chile: Agrarian Elites and the rebuilding of the partisan right; 4. Brazil: landowners and their multi-party congressional caucus; 5. Argentina: the limits of non-electoral strategies; 6. Conclusions, extensions, and implications.
About the author
Belén Fernández Milmanda is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Trinity College (USA). Her research explores how economic elites influence policy making in Latin America with a focus on distributive and environmental politics. Her work has appeared in World Development, Politics and Society, and the Oxford Research Encyclopedia on Latin American Politics.
Summary
Introduces a new theory of political participation by studying the different political strategies used by agrarian elites to influence policymaking in contemporary Latin America. By comparing three countries, the book contributes to ongoing debates on the relationship between economic elites' representation, democracy, and redistribution.
Foreword
Introduces a new theory of agrarian elites' political participation under democracy by comparing Latin American cases since the third wave.
