How Economics Downturns Have Sealed the Political Fate of Argentina

Abstract

Increasingly pervasive populist and authoritarian movements have led to growing concern about the potential impact of economic policies in undermining democratic movements. Indeed, some studies suggest that economic downturns may be associated with rising authoritarian tendencies, particularly when the latter have already been implemented in the past. In this paper, I will use Argentina as a case study to examine the relationship between economic policies and authoritarian rule. I have determined that there are three broad periods of political rule. The first period is the Peronist populist regime which implemented state-interventionist policies. The next period is the military Junta which put in place neoliberal economic policies. And the third period, following the end of the military regime, has been marked by a return of democratic institutions which have been plagued by economic instability. Overall, this paper displays that the crisis of democratic representation in Argentina is not the cause of rising authoritarianism and populism but rather the result of a history of authoritarianism and populism. Argentina’s history has made it so that democratic rule is seen as incompatible with political stability and economic growth, thereby impeding any political system which wishes to represent the interests of the Argentinian people properly.