Guillermo O'Donnell – författare

Democracy, Agency, and the State aims to contribute to a comparatively informed theory of democracy. Professor O''Donnell begins by arguing that conceptions of ''the state'' and ''democracy'', and their respective defining features, significantly influence each other. Using an approach that is both historical and analytical, he traces this relationship through the idea of legally sanctioned and backed agency which grounds democratic citizenship. From thisstandpoint he explores several aspects of the democratic regime and of the state, distinguishing four constitutive dimensions (bureaucracy, legality, focus of collective identity, and filter). He goes on to examine the role played by the idea of ''the nation'' or ''the people'', and the ways in which the staterepresents itself to different sections of society, especially in countries marred by deep inequality and pervasive poverty. Drawing on the examples of democratic and non-democratic regime, he discusses the dialogical spaces congenial to democracy, as well as examining the options that may or may not enable agency, and the complex comparative and ethical issues raised by the intersection of agency with globalization and legal pluralism.Throughout these discussions several comparative vistas areopened, especially but not exclusively toward Latin America. The book concludes by offering a justification of democracy, even of the flawed democracies that nowadays abound.Oxford Studies in Democratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization process that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series is primarily Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The series editor is Laurence Whitehead, Official Fellow, Nuffield College,University of Oxford.

Democracy, Agency, and the State aims to contribute to a comparatively informed theory of democracy. Professor O'Donnell begins by arguing that conceptions of 'the state' and 'democracy', and their respective defining features, significantly influence each other. Using an approach that is both historical and analytical, he traces this relationship through the idea of legally sanctioned and backed agency which grounds democratic citizenship. From this standpoint he explores several aspects of the democratic regime and of the state, distinguishing four constitutive dimensions (bureaucracy, legality, focus of collective identity, and filter). He goes on to examine the role played by the idea of 'the nation' or 'the people', and the ways in which the state represents itself to different sections of society, especially in countries marred by deep inequality and pervasive poverty. Drawing on the examples of democratic and non-democratic regime, he discusses the dialogical spaces congenial to democracy, as well as examining the options that may or may not enable agency, and the complex comparative and ethical issues raised by the intersection of agency with globalization and legal pluralism.Throughout these discussions several comparative vistas are opened, especially but not exclusively toward Latin America. The book concludes by offering a justification of democracy, even of the flawed democracies that nowadays abound.Oxford Studies in Democratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization process that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series is primarily Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The series editor is Laurence Whitehead, Official Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.

The central, driving theme of this volume is democracy, its vicissitudes and its possibilities in Latin America. Guillermo O'Donnell considers the pattern of political and social alliances that have shaped Argentina's agitated history, and focuses on the tensions and intrinsic weaknesses of bureaucratic-authoritarianism, especially in its most repressive guises, at a time when it projected itself as an enduring, efficient, and potentially legitimate form of political authority. He includes detailed empirical analysis of daily life under extremely repressive regimes and argues throughout that the struggle for democracy is the most appropriate way, both morally and strategically, to take advantage of the fissures and tensions that close examination discovers behind the bureaucratic-authoritarianism facade.Counterpoints is a successful mix of personal experience and meticulous scholarship—a trajectory of O'Donnell's work that starts with the critique of authoritarianism and ends with a close examination of presently existing democracies in Latin America. His discussion of the flaws of the new democracies originating from defective institutionalism and extreme social inequalities is especially valuable for scholars of democracy and democratization, comparative politics, and Latin American politics.

The central, driving theme of this volume is democracy, its vicissitudes and its possibilities in Latin America. Guillermo O'Donnell considers the pattern of political and social alliances that have shaped Argentina's agitated history, and focuses on the tensions and intrinsic weaknesses of bureaucratic-authoritarianism, especially in its most repressive guises, at a time when it projected itself as an enduring, efficient, and potentially legitimate form of political authority. He includes detailed empirical analysis of daily life under extremely repressive regimes and argues throughout that the struggle for democracy is the most appropriate way, both morally and strategically, to take advantage of the fissures and tensions that close examination discovers behind the bureaucratic-authoritarianism facade.Counterpoints is a successful mix of personal experience and meticulous scholarship—a trajectory of O'Donnell's work that starts with the critique of authoritarianism and ends with a close examination of presently existing democracies in Latin America. His discussion of the flaws of the new democracies originating from defective institutionalism and extreme social inequalities is especially valuable for scholars of democracy and democratization, comparative politics, and Latin American politics.

Since 1974 there has been an unprecedented wave of democratization in the world. This trend has been particularly extensive in South America. But the problems confronting these new democracies are staggering, and the prospects for building consolidated democratic regimes are far from uniformly good. Focusing primarily on recent South American cases, Issues in Democratic Consolidation examines some of the difficulties of constructing consolidated democracies and provides a critical examination of the major issues involved.A prominent theme running through this collection is that the transitions from authoritative rule to civilian government may be arrested by political, economic, and social constraints. The articles contain analyses of the varied modalities and complex processes related to the transitions. The first transition begins with the initial stirrings of crisis under authoritarian rule that generate some form of political opening and greater respect for basic civil rights, and ends with the establishment of a government elected in an open, competitive contest. The volume's primary focus, however, is on the second transition, which begins with the inauguration of a democratic government and ends-if all goes well-with the establishment of a consolidated democratic regime.

Since 1974 there has been an unprecedented wave of democratization in the world. This trend has been particularly extensive in South America. But the problems confronting these new democracies are staggering, and the prospects for building consolidated democratic regimes are far from uniformly good. Focusing primarily on recent South American cases, Issues in Democratic Consolidation examines some of the difficulties of constructing consolidated democracies and provides a critical examination of the major issues involved.A prominent theme running through this collection is that the transitions from authoritative rule to civilian government may be arrested by political, economic, and social constraints. The articles contain analyses of the varied modalities and complex processes related to the transitions. The first transition begins with the initial stirrings of crisis under authoritarian rule that generate some form of political opening and greater respect for basic civil rights, and ends with the establishment of a government elected in an open, competitive contest. The volume's primary focus, however, is on the second transition, which begins with the inauguration of a democratic government and ends-if all goes well-with the establishment of a consolidated democratic regime.

In 1996, Guillermo O'Donnell taught a seminar at the University of Notre Dame on democratic theory. One of the questions explored in this class was whether it is possible to define and determine the "quality" of democracy. Jorge Vargas Cullell, a student in this course, returned to his native country of Costa Rica, formed a small research team, and secured funding for undertaking a "citizen audit" of the quality of democracy in Costa Rica. This pathbreaking volume contains O'Donnell's qualitative theoretical study of the quality of democracy and Vargas Cullell's description and analysis of the empirical data he gathered on the quality of democracy in Costa Rica. It also includes twelve short, scholarly reflections on the O'Donnell and Cullell essays.The primary goal of this collection is to present the rationale and methodology for implementing a citizen audit of democracy. This book is an expression of a growing concern among policy experts and academics that the recent emergence of numerous democratic regimes, particularly in Latin America, cannot conceal the sobering fact that the efficacy and impact of these new governments vary widely. These variations, which range from acceptable to dismal, have serious consequences for the people of Latin America, many of whom have received few if any benefits from democratization. Attempts to gauge the quality of particular democracies are therefore not only fascinating intellectual exercises but may also be useful practical guides for improving both old and new democracies.This book will make important strides in addressing the increasing practical and academic concerns about the quality of democracy. It will be required reading for political scientists, policy analysts, and Latin Americanists.

In 1996, Guillermo O'Donnell taught a seminar at the University of Notre Dame on democratic theory. One of the questions explored in this class was whether it is possible to define and determine the "quality" of democracy. Jorge Vargas Cullell, a student in this course, returned to his native country of Costa Rica, formed a small research team, and secured funding for undertaking a "citizen audit" of the quality of democracy in Costa Rica. This pathbreaking volume contains O'Donnell's qualitative theoretical study of the quality of democracy and Vargas Cullell's description and analysis of the empirical data he gathered on the quality of democracy in Costa Rica. It also includes twelve short, scholarly reflections on the O'Donnell and Cullell essays.The primary goal of this collection is to present the rationale and methodology for implementing a citizen audit of democracy. This book is an expression of a growing concern among policy experts and academics that the recent emergence of numerous democratic regimes, particularly in Latin America, cannot conceal the sobering fact that the efficacy and impact of these new governments vary widely. These variations, which range from acceptable to dismal, have serious consequences for the people of Latin America, many of whom have received few if any benefits from democratization. Attempts to gauge the quality of particular democracies are therefore not only fascinating intellectual exercises but may also be useful practical guides for improving both old and new democracies.This book will make important strides in addressing the increasing practical and academic concerns about the quality of democracy. It will be required reading for political scientists, policy analysts, and Latin Americanists.

Guillermo O'Donnell here brings together a collection of significant recent essays in which he considers both the method for and substance of critiques of democracies. While progress has been made in democratization, the authoritarian legacy hangs as a shadow over that advancement. O'Donnell engages in his analysis while keeping a firm gaze on that dangerous past.O'Donnell's work has influenced a generation of political scientists. The essays in this volume bring forward and develop many of the ideas presented in his earlier collection, Counterpoints: Selected Essays on Authoritarianism and Democracy

This thorough discussion of the idea of "democracies without citizenship" in Latin America considers overcoming political violence and discrimination and analyzes various avenues to institutional judicial reform. The (Un)Rule of Law and the Underprivileged in Latin America, as the fourth part of Project Latin America 2000 from the Helen Kellogg Institute, enlarges the understanding of significant political, economic, and social issues facing Latin America at the threshold of a new century. The contributors develop arguments around the Latin American system of law which only punishes the poor and marginalized. In addressing lawless violence, the contributors argue that it is no longer the democratic state that directly commits the abuses. Instead, it fails to control arbitrary practices of its own agents and to challenge those who flaunt disregard for the law. The collection demonstrates that it is impossible to separate judicial reform from human rights and argues that justice must be made accessible to the poor and that governments make a serious and comprehensive commitment to social reform.

This thorough discussion of the idea of "democracies without citizenship" in Latin America considers overcoming political violence and discrimination and analyzes various avenues to institutional judicial reform. The (Un)Rule of Law and the Underprivileged in Latin America, as the fourth part of Project Latin America 2000 from the Helen Kellogg Institute, enlarges the understanding of significant political, economic, and social issues facing Latin America at the threshold of a new century. The contributors develop arguments around the Latin American system of law which only punishes the poor and marginalized. In addressing lawless violence, the contributors argue that it is no longer the democratic state that directly commits the abuses. Instead, it fails to control arbitrary practices of its own agents and to challenge those who flaunt disregard for the law. The collection demonstrates that it is impossible to separate judicial reform from human rights and argues that justice must be made accessible to the poor and that governments make a serious and comprehensive commitment to social reform.

Guillermo O'Donnell here brings together a collection of significant recent essays in which he considers both the method for and substance of critiques of democracies. While progress has been made in democratization, the authoritarian legacy hangs as a shadow over that advancement. O'Donnell engages in his analysis while keeping a firm gaze on that dangerous past.O'Donnell's work has influenced a generation of political scientists. The essays in this volume bring forward and develop many of the ideas presented in his earlier collection, Counterpoints: Selected Essays on Authoritarianism and Democracy

Bureaucratic Authoritarianism: Argentina, 1966–1973, in Comparative Perspective provides a rigorous and multidimensional analysis of Argentina’s political and economic trajectory during a pivotal period in its history. Through the lens of the bureaucratic-authoritarian (BA) state, the book explores the complex interactions between structural conditions, institutional frameworks, and the perceptions of key actors. By situating Argentina’s experience within a comparative framework—including Brazil post-1964, Uruguay and Chile after 1973, and Argentina’s subsequent BA regime after 1976—this study offers valuable insights into the origins, dynamics, and consequences of authoritarian rule.Combining empirical data, historical narratives, and theoretical critique, the book examines the profound social and economic costs of authoritarian governance. It interrogates the ideological and structural conditions that fostered political violence and recurrent authoritarianism, while reflecting on the enduring impact of the 1966–1973 crises on Argentina's political evolution. Written with both academic rigor and a personal commitment to understanding Argentina’s turbulent history, this volume provides essential reading for scholars of political science, Latin American studies, and modern history.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.

Bureaucratic Authoritarianism: Argentina, 1966–1973, in Comparative Perspective provides a rigorous and multidimensional analysis of Argentina’s political and economic trajectory during a pivotal period in its history. Through the lens of the bureaucratic-authoritarian (BA) state, the book explores the complex interactions between structural conditions, institutional frameworks, and the perceptions of key actors. By situating Argentina’s experience within a comparative framework—including Brazil post-1964, Uruguay and Chile after 1973, and Argentina’s subsequent BA regime after 1976—this study offers valuable insights into the origins, dynamics, and consequences of authoritarian rule. Combining empirical data, historical narratives, and theoretical critique, the book examines the profound social and economic costs of authoritarian governance. It interrogates the ideological and structural conditions that fostered political violence and recurrent authoritarianism, while reflecting on the enduring impact of the 1966–1973 crises on Argentina's political evolution. Written with both academic rigor and a personal commitment to understanding Argentina’s turbulent history, this volume provides essential reading for scholars of political science, Latin American studies, and modern history. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.

Bureaucratic Authoritarianism: Argentina, 1966–1973, in Comparative Perspective provides a rigorous and multidimensional analysis of Argentina’s political and economic trajectory during a pivotal period in its history. Through the lens of the bureaucratic-authoritarian (BA) state, the book explores the complex interactions between structural conditions, institutional frameworks, and the perceptions of key actors. By situating Argentina’s experience within a comparative framework—including Brazil post-1964, Uruguay and Chile after 1973, and Argentina’s subsequent BA regime after 1976—this study offers valuable insights into the origins, dynamics, and consequences of authoritarian rule.Combining empirical data, historical narratives, and theoretical critique, the book examines the profound social and economic costs of authoritarian governance. It interrogates the ideological and structural conditions that fostered political violence and recurrent authoritarianism, while reflecting on the enduring impact of the 1966–1973 crises on Argentina's political evolution. Written with both academic rigor and a personal commitment to understanding Argentina’s turbulent history, this volume provides essential reading for scholars of political science, Latin American studies, and modern history.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1988.

An array of internationally noted scholars examines the process of democratization in southern Europe and Latin America. They provide new interpretations of both current and historical efforts of nations to end periods of authoritarian rule and to initiate transition to democracy, efforts that have met with widely varying degrees of success and failure. Extensive case studies of individual countries, a comparative overview, and a synthesis conclusions offer important insights for political scientists, students, and all concerned with the prospects for democracy. Southern Europe The historical example of Italy after Mussolini as well as the more recent cases of Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey suggest factors that may make a transition relatively secure. Latin America Democratization is perhaps the central issue in Latin American politics today. Case studies focus on Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Comparative Perspectives Despite the unique contexts of transitions in individual countries, significant points of comparison emerge -- such as the influence of foreign nations and the role of agents outside the government.These analyses explore both intra- and interregional similarities and differences. Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies Political democracy is not the only possible outcome of transitions from authoritarianism. Guillermo O'Donnell and Philippe C. Schmitter draw out the implications of democracy as a goal and of the uncertainty inherent in transitional situations.

An array of internationally noted scholars examines the process of democratization in southern Europe and Latin America. They provide new interpretations of both current and historical efforts of nations to end periods of authoritarian rule and to initiate transition to democracy, efforts that have met with widely varying degrees of success and failure. Extensive case studies of individual countries, a comparative overview, and a synthesis conclusions offer important insights for political scientists, students, and all concerned with the prospects for democracy. The historical example of Italy after Mussolini as well as the more recent cases of Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey suggest factors that may make a transition relatively secure.

An array of internationally noted scholars examines the process of democratization in Southern Europe and Latin America. The authors provide new interpretations of both current and historical efforts of nations to end periods of authoritarian rule and to initiate transition to democracy, efforts that have met with widely varying degrees of success and failure. Extensive case studies of individual countries, a comparative overview, and a synthesis conclusions offer important insights for political scientists, students, and all concerned with the prospects for democracy. In Volume 3, despite the unique contexts of transitions in individual countries, significant points of comparison emerge — such as the influence of foreign nations and the role of agents outside the government. These analyses explore both intra- and interregional similarities and differences.

Political science scholars consider the four-volume work "Transitions from Authoritarian Rule" to be a foundational text for studying the process of democratization, specifically in those cases where an authoritarian regime is giving way to some form of democratic government. The most important of the four books is without a doubt the fourth volume, "Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies", also known as "the little green book." "Transitions from Authoritarian Rule" was the first book in any language to systematically compare the process of transition from authoritarianism across a broad range of countries. Political democracy is not the only possible outcome. Guillermo O'Donnell, Philippe C. Schmitter, and Laurence Whitehead emphasize that it's not the revolution but the transition that is critical to the growth of a democratic state. This ground-breaking insight remains highly relevant as the ramifications of the Arab Spring continue to play out. This reissue features a new foreword by Cynthia J. Arnson, director of the Latin American Program at the Woodow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and Abraham F.Lowenthal, founding director of the Latin American Program, who wrote the original volume's foreword.

La teoría de la democracia fue, y en gran medida sigue siendo, una teoría que refleja implícitamente la historia y las condiciones sociales de los países donde ha logrado mas viejas y sólidas raíces, básicamente los países de capitalismo avanzado del cuadrante Noroeste del mundo. Por eso, muchas de las luchas anti-autoritarias, en el Sur y en el Este, fueron alimentadas por la ilusión de que, una vez que desaparecieran los grandes déspotas, se lograrían democracias que no tardarían en parecerse a las del Noroeste. Esta inocente creencia fue, por cierto, de suma utilidad para dinamizar las luchas contra diversas formas autoritarias. Pero fue más tarde también origen de lo que los españoles en su momento llamaron el "desencanto" que se apoderó de muchos cuando, después de la caída de esos autoritarismos, una serie de melancólicas realidades se hizo evidente: crisis económicas y su tratamiento tecnocrático y socialmente insensible; el debilitamiento de actores que fueron históricamente los grandes soportes sociales de los avances democráticos; el paralelo debilitamiento, si no la destrucción, de buena parte del aparato estatal al ritmo de aquellas crisis y de la ofensiva neoconservadora; la persistencia y, en muchos casos, la acentuación de grandes desigualdades y, junto con ellas, de relaciones sociales con marcado acento autoritario, y por cierto el amargo descubrimiento de que parte de los líderes políticos que la democracia trajo consigo seguía teniendo, como antes, grave dificultad en distinguir el bien público de sus intereses privados.

Guillermo O''Donnell cuenta con la singular condición de crear conceptos que condensan las inquietudes y desafíos cruciales de una época. Sucedió con sus estudios en torno acerca del autoritarismo burocrático, sus análisis sobre la transición a la democracia y, recuperada ésta, sus indagaciones acerca del tip de democracia que estamos construyendo. Como en los otro casos, su idea de democracia delegativa, acuñada en los años 9 expresa un clima de ideas en el que la celebración por el retorno d la democracia coexiste con la necesidad de una "crítica democrática a la democracia", una mirada que no debe se complaciente con sus límites y debilidades. Si los 80 fueron años de entusiasmo democrático. los 90 lo fueron de tensión; en ellos se reconoció que las garantías que rodean el momento electoral convivían con un modo de entender el ejercicio del poder que desconfía de toda forma de control sobre sus actos y se alimenta de y realimenta-- prácticas y estilos políticos muy poco consonantes con la democracia representativa. Este modo de entender y ejercer el poder político se activa y exacerba bajo situaciones de aguda crisis nacional y tiende a perdurar luego que la misma se ha resuelto. Aunque numerosas circunstancias han cambiado, esta concepción sigue viva en algunos de nuestros países, incluso la Argentina. Mediante las contribuciones de distinguidos/ as autores/ as, el presente libro indaga acerca de la "democracia disminuida" que de ello resulta y sus posibilidades de evolución, nunca tan acuciantes como en las presentes circunstancias.

Este es un libro de teoría política, sobre varios aspectos de la democracia y el estado, en sí mismos y en sus relaciones. Su punto de partida es la creencia del autor de que esas relaciones son tan importantes como relativamente ignoradas y que, a su vez, su examen lleva a dar algunas nuevas miradas tanto a la democracia como al estado. El argumento básico es que la democracia, incluso en su versión limitada (como democracia política), presupone la concepción del ser humano como un agente que ha logrado, a través de procesos históricos que han variado a lo largo del tiempo y el espacio, el título de ser reconocido y legalmente respaldado como portador de derechos a la ciudadanía (no sólo política, sino también civil, social y cultural). Es así el microfundamento que enraíza los aspectos empíricos y normativos de la democracia. Ese enraizamiento repercute fuertemente, aunque no siempre de manera visible, sobre la democracia, el estado y sus interrelaciones. Hay que decir, además, que éste es un libro moral y políticamente motivado, orientado por la preocupación que despiertan las falencias de las democracias contemporáneas y las crueles realidades sociales que subyacen a ellas.

Este libro es producto de trabajo académico, incluso de una detallada investigación. Los datos emergentes de ella sólo pueden ser interpretados mediante conceptos que tienen un cierto status teórico. Pero mi esperanza es que este libro pueda ser leído, sin dificultades, por cualquier persona que tenga un razonable interés en la política. Por eso me permito una sugerencia. El lector del mundo académico seguramente querrá comenzar por los conceptos que utilizo, sus definiciones e interrelaciones. Los mismos están presentados en el capítulo I. Pero ese capítulo es de ardua lectura. Por ello, cualquier otro lector podría comenzar directamente por el capítulo II, a partir del cual el texto es mucho menos abstruso. A lo largo de su lectura, cuando se encuentre con términos cuyo significado quiera precisar, puede recurrir a las respectivas secciones y acápites del capítulo I (cuyos títulos intentan facilitar esa búsqueda) o bien leer ese capítulo después de haber terminado los restantes. Con la misma intención he hecho un desdoblamiento de las referencias en el texto para facilitar su lectura. Aquellas que agregan detalles o matices a lo allí dicho van como notas al pie de las respectivas páginas. Otras que se limitan a identificar las fuentes de afirmaciones o datos, de interés para el lector que pueda querer verificarlos, están transcriptas al final del libro. La ilusión no es sólo que este libro contribuya al conocimiento sino también que ingrese a la discusión política de quienes comparten valores realmente opuestos a toda forma autoritaria de dominación.

El presente libro recopila textos de Guillermo O''Donnell ha publicado durante los últimos diez años. Como el subtítulo sugiere, estos textos parten de una doble premisa. Por una parte nunca olvidar los horrores del pasado autoritario y, por la otra, no renunciar a una crítica fundamentada de las deficiencias que exhiben las democracias existentes, incluyendo por supuesto la argentina. Para ello, el autor recorre temas de gran importancia teórica y práctica, a los que aporta ángulos innovadores, entre ellos la adecuada conceptualización del régimen democrático, el lugar de la agencia y el Estado en el mismo, la rendición de cuentas, y el Estado de derecho. En todos ellos aparecen las "disonancias" del título, entre valores y prácticas, aspiraciones y realizaciones, y formalidad e informalidad, que los textos van detectando y analizando.

Catacumbas alude a la situación durante la cual fueron elaborados estos apuntes, no a su contenido. Años tenebrosos, de muerte y sufrimiento indecibles, que nos marcarán para siempre. A muchos todavía hoy nos sorprende haber sobrevivido a una dictadura ilimitadamente destructiva cuyo propósito, entre otros, fue la solución final a sangre y fuego de la ciclicidad pendular que describe O''Donnell en uno de los mejores documentos de trabajo aquí reunidos. Oscilación económica, y núcleo político de la inestabilidad entre las décadas de 1950 y 1970, cuyos extremos fueron una burguesía pampeana extensiva que se beneficiaba de transferencias gratuitas (sin contrapartida en producción) provocadas por las devaluaciones que seguían a las recurrentes crisis de balanza de pagos, y una alianza urbana entre asalariados e industriales protegidos, cuya dinámica importadora acarreaba ese déficit externo.

El presente volumen se ocupa de los procesos de transición que llevan de determinados regímenes autoritarios a alguna otra cosa incierta. Esa otra cosa puede ser la instauración de una democracia política o la restauración de una nueva forma, posiblemente más severa, de régimen autoritario. También puede haber simplemente un desenlace confuso, con la rotación en el poder de gobiernos sucesivos que no logran dar una solución perdurable o predecible al problema de la institucionalización del poder político. Estos procesos de transición pueden dar lugar, finalmente, a amplias y violentas confrontaciones, y desembocar, a la postre, en regímenes revolucionarios promotores de cambios que trascienden en mucho el ámbito político.