Agrarian Elites and Democracy in Latin America

Introduces a new theory of agrarian elites' political participation under democracy by comparing Latin American cases since the third wave.

Belén Fernández Milmanda (Author)

9781009553575, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 November 2024

276 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2 cm, 0.54 kg

'Agrarian Elites and Democracy in Latin America provides an innovative and deeply insightful explanation of an enduring puzzle in the comparative study of democracy: the ability of agrarian elites in highly unequal societies to defend their economic interests under democratic regimes that they do not support and cannot control. Through a comparative analysis of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, Fernández Milmanda examines the conditions under which agrarian elites deploy electoral strategies by investing in party-building activities or building a multi-party legislative caucus and explains why they sometimes resort to less effective forms of social protest. This book is a major contribution to our understanding of why democratic regimes find it so difficult to adopt redistributive reforms and environmental policies opposed by elite economic interests.' Kenneth M. Roberts, Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government, Cornell University

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]