Evidence clearly demonstrates Latin America’s political systems transition to democracy. Though unstable, it’s long democratic history reveals progression from oligarchy, to semi-democracy, to an electoral democracy. Thus, with these three cycles of democratization trace the political changes that demonstrate Latin America’s consistent effort to implement electoral democracy.
Oligarchy, dominated Latin America’s political structure from 1900 to 1939. At the height of the European industrialization, Latin America became Europe’s main provider for raw materials. Mexico, for instance, provided Europe and North America with hemp, copper, and zinc. By 1910, Latin America was being integrated ever more strongly into the world of capitalist economy, given the role of “peripheral producer” of primary goods and consumer of industrialized goods from the developed nations at the center of the system. Hence, Latin American countries producing raw material in exchange for European manufactured goods, further, embedded the pattern of economic control by foreign countries. Thus this pattern already established due to colonialism, continued, and Latin America became more dependent on a foreign countries economy for its prosperity. However, in the minds of many political leaders, this new economic order was reasonable and endorsed, as a result of the growing dominance of liberal ideology in most parts of Latin America. In fact, due to the new ideology, throughout this phase of free trade, political parties were established.
Many political liberals who favored less centralized state rule formed liberal parties, while the traditional agricultural interests and pro church conservatives formed conservative parties. Moreover, as free trade was glorified because of its intrinsic worth, political leaders and foreign counterparts open their borders. This action was largely due to the ideological perspective of many Latin American political leaders, which viewed as abnormal to stand in the way of the economic and social progress that free trade would contribute to the prosperity of the state. With regards to local governments, conveniently took the opportunity to collect revenue from commercial trade which during colonial times had thrived illegally outside of their control. However as it would be expected, it was only a small percent, since only 5% of the populations benefited from the free trade agreements.
Is this the Latin America I know? You have made a broad sweeping generality that has little basis of fact. Many, many folks will disagree with you on your conclusion. If you are going to make such an astonishing conclusion, you need to support it with facts. Why do countries in Latin America have those big armies?
To trace the political changes that demonstrate Latin America's consistent effort to implement electoral democracy, we need to examine the three cycles of democratization: oligarchy, semi-democracy, and electoral democracy.
1. Oligarchy (1900-1939):
During this period, Latin America was dominated by an oligarchical political structure. The region's economic dependency on foreign countries for raw materials further entrenched the pattern of economic control by foreign powers. However, the growing dominance of liberal ideology led to the establishment of political parties, reflecting different interests such as the liberal parties favoring less centralized state rule and conservative parties representing traditional agricultural interests and pro-church conservatives. Despite the establishment of political parties, the benefits of free trade and political power were limited to a small percentage of the population.
2. Semi-Democracy:
In the subsequent phase, known as semi-democracy, there was a shift towards more inclusive political systems. The influence of liberal ideologies and the rising demand for political participation led to the expansion of voting rights and increased political representation. However, democratic institutions and practices were still fragile and susceptible to manipulation by elite groups.
3. Electoral Democracy:
In the later years, Latin America made significant strides towards achieving electoral democracy. The region witnessed the consolidation of democratic institutions, such as independent judiciaries, free and fair elections, and the protection of civil liberties. This period was characterized by an increasing number of democratic transitions, where government power changed hands through elections rather than through non-democratic methods. However, it is important to note that electoral democracy in Latin America has often been marked by challenges and periods of instability.
Overall, Latin America's political changes from oligarchy to semi-democracy and eventually to electoral democracy demonstrate its consistent effort to implement democratic principles. These transformations reflect a trajectory towards greater political inclusiveness, increased electoral participation, and the establishment of democratic institutions.