Economic development and democratic stability: a critical issue for Latin American Comparative Politics

Abstract

Latin America experienced more breakdowns of democracy in 20th century than any other region. Latin Americans have related the vicissitudes of their democratic history as a result of the high social conflict associated with unequal peripheral capitalism. However, in recent years, an alternative interpretation emerged: the breakdowns of democracy would have been a consequence of low average levels of consumption. This interpretation is derived from the statistical association between GDP and democratic stability. This article focuses on the theoretical dimension of the problem by analyzing some works which argue that the increase in average consumption favor democratic stability. It is concluded that in some cases the argument is inconsistent, and in others the model proposed includes an initial assumption that implies by itself the final conclusion of the analysis. To demonstrate this point, an analytical model was developed here. Its model also shows that Latin American theories which associated democratic instability with unequal social stratification are absolutely consistent and valid.