Read more about Neoliberal Resilience: Lessons in Democracy and Development from Latin America and Eastern Europe
The committee writes: This ambitious book examines the trajectory of neoliberal policies from inception to a later stage of development in which such policies become institutionalized and potentially resistant to opposition on the part of left movements, nationalized and other protected domestic industries, and the public at large. An analytical framework is proposed in which the resilience of neoliberalism is contingent on three dynamics: (1) blocking oppositional groups from political power, (2) creating and solidifying a coalition of supportive political partners, particularly from the financial and export-oriented business community, and (3) enacting constitutional reforms that insulate neoliberal policy and policymakers from democratic interventions and reforms. Using both quantitative and qualitative data and methods, the book offers an in-depth empirical examination of the impact of these factors on exchange rate and industrial policy in two contrasting country cases in Latin America (Chile and Argentina) and Easter Europe (Estonia and Poland), finding compelling support for the proposed framework. In the final chapter, the book considers the extent to which neoliberalism in Chile and Estonia remains resilient in the context of recent events, such as the rise of ethnonationalist populist movements, in comparison to the countries where neoliberalism is less institutionalized (i.e., Argentina and Poland). Taking up central questions facing countries in many regions of the world today, this impressive book will resonate with scholars throughout the SASE community.