Agony of Argentine Capitalism

Paul H. Lewis is professor emeritus of political science at Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. He is the author of nine books, including the Praeger's Guerrillas and Generals: The "Dirty War" in Argentina and Latin Fascist Elites: The Mussolini, Franco, and Salazar Regimes.

Lewis presents the third in a trilogy that includes The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism, which explored the political economy of Argentina from the late 19th century through the rule of Juan Peron, and Guerillas and Generals: The 'Dirty War' in Argentina, which concentrated on the causes and effects of political violence in the 1970s. In this volume, he returns to the political economy focus of the first volume, discussing the efforts of President Menem and President De la Rua to push through free trade policies and criticizing the populist policies of the later governments of Cristina and Néstor Kirchner, who he argues seek to 'extend state control to all aspects of the economy and to redistribute income derived from the most efficient sector, agriculture,' and threaten to repeat the mistakes of Peron, who Lewis blames for the chronic 'stagflation' (stagnant production and persistent inflation) that plagued the Argentine economy through the 1980s.

• PrefaceAbbreviationsCHAPTER ONE: The Rise to PowerThe Young PolíticoGovernor MenemGovernor Again: The Menem ModelThe RenovationistCHAPTER TWO: The Crisis of Argentine CapitalismThe Roots of StagflationThe Business ElitesCHAPTER THREE: Trials and ErrorsPlan B&BThe Crony CabinetFamily Scandals and Military ThreatsCorruption ScandalsGovernment ShakeupCHAPTER FOUR: Free Markets and ConvertibilityThe Convertibility PlanForeign InfluenceLabor's TravailsCHAPTER FIVE: The Underside of the SystemThe Syrian Connection: "Yomagate"The Syrian Connection: Gun-RunningThe Syrian Connection: Terrorism"Junior's Accident"Intimidation of the PressCHAPTER SIX: Triumphs and TroublesConvertibility's Potential ProblemsMenem's Re-ElectionThe "Tequila Effect"Economic Damage ControlThe Dysfunctional ProvincesThe Demands of ClientelismCHAPTER SEVEN: The Downward SlideCavallo versus YabránThe Rout of Domestic CapitalismThe RaidersSummaryCHAPTER EIGHT: ChallengesMurder's Red TrailThe October 1997 ElectionsThe Peronists SplitThe Alliance Rolls ForwardCHAPTER NINE: The CrashThe Alliance Breaks UpTroubles and TurmoilReturn of the "Wizard"Free FallCHAPTER TEN: The Retreat to PopulismThe Conflict with the CourtsEconomic AgonyThree-Sided StalemateMenem ReduxCHAPTER ELEVEN: The Illusions of ProgressThe Kirchner CoalitionThe Debt "Haircut"Toward a Closed EconomyThe Contradictions of a Closed EconomyFrom Néstor to Cristina, With LoveCHAPTER TWELVE: DefianceTactical ManeuversThe Struggle for Public OpinionThe Congressional StruggleThe AftermathFacing the Future: The Three ArgentinasNotesSelected BibliographyIndex