Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T18:38:33.811Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

State, Market and Neoliberalism in Post-Transition Argentina: The Menem Experiment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

William C. Smith
William C. Smith*
Affiliation:
University of Miami(Coral Gables, FL)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Argentines Fervently hoped that the transition from authoritarianism to democracy would reverse decades of economic decline and return their country to the path of modernization. Raúl Alfonsín and his Radical party assumed office in December 1983 confident of reconciling democratization with rapid development and social justice. This optimism was soon shattered, the victim of a succession of failed stabilization plans. Finally, a catastrophic economic collapse led to a convincing victory by Peronist Carlos Menem in the May 1989 presidential contest.

Carlos Menem assumed the presidency on 8 July 1989 in the midst of raging hyperinflation: from August 1988 through July 1989, consumer prices had risen 3,610% and wholesale prices had skyrocketed 5,062%. Menem responded with neoliberal, “free-market” reforms designed to restructure radically the beleaguered Argentine economy along the lines of the so-called “Washington Consensus.”

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , Winter 1991 , pp. 45 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acevedo, M., Basualdo, E. and Khavisse, M. (1990) ¿Quién es quién? Los dueños del poder económico (Argentina 1973-1987). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editor/12 y Pensamiento Jurídico.Google Scholar
Acuña (1991) “La Argentina: Determinantes políticos y sus consequencias sobre la estabilidad y tipo de democracias esperables.” Realidad Económica 100: 9- 38.Google Scholar
Acuña, C. nd Smulovitz, C. (1991) “¿Ni olvido ni perdón? Derechos humanos y tensiones cívico-militares en la transición argentina.” Documentos CEDES/69.Google Scholar
Alsogaray, A. (1990) “Divortium aguarum y realineamiento político.” La Nación (1 June): 8.Google Scholar
Ambito Financiero (1991) “Mejoró la popularidad de Menem.” (18 April): 3.Google Scholar
Ambito Financiero (1990) “Los empresarios prefieren los decretos de Menem a las leyes.” (20 April): 6.Google Scholar
Ambito Financiero (1989a) “Se reaviva la interna empresaria por la convocatoria de Francisco Macri.” (11 September): 3.Google Scholar
Ambito Financiero (1989b) “Entendamos: el país entró en la era de los golpes de mercado en lugar de los antiguos golpes de estado que hacían militares.” (15 December): 1, 2.Google Scholar
Argentina. Ministerio de Economía (1989a) “Discurso del Ministro de Economía (9/07/89)” (mimeo).Google Scholar
Argentina. Ministerio de Economía (1989b) “Principales medidas económicas del 9/07/89” (mimeo).Google Scholar
Argentina. Ministerio de Economía (1989c) “Discurso pronunciado por el Ministro de Economía, Ing. Mario Néstor Rapanelli, en ocasión de la firma del Acta del Acuerdo de Estabilización de Precios” (17 July).Google Scholar
Azpiazu, D., Basualdo, E. and Khavisse, M. (1986) El nuevo poder económico en la Argentina de los años 80. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Legasa.Google Scholar
Basualdo, E. (1987) Deuda externa y poder económico en la Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Nueva América.Google Scholar
Basualdo, E. and Azpiazu, D. (1990) Cara y contracara de los grupos económicos: Estado y promoción industrial en la Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Cántaro Editores.Google Scholar
Block, Fred (1980) “Beyond Relative Autonomy: State Managers as Historical Subjects.” Socialist Register 1980: 227-240.Google Scholar
Bouzas, Roberto (1991) “A US-Mercosur Free Trade Area: A Preliminary Assesment.” Paper presented at an Overseas Development Council Workship on “US-Latin American Trade Relations in the 1990s,” Washington (DC), 14-15 November.Google Scholar
Capalbo, D. (1990) “Dividir para reinar: Las luchas internas del verdadero poder.” Noticias de la Semana (16 September).Google Scholar
Carciofi, R. (1990) “La disarticulatión del pacto fiscal: Una interpretatión sobre la evolutión del sector público argentino en la década de los ochenta” (Documento de la CEPAL 36). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).Google Scholar
Cavarozzi, M. (1991) “Beyond Transitions to Democracy in Latin America.” Paper presented at the XV Congress of the International Political Science Association, Buenos Aires (Argentina), 21-24 July.Google Scholar
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) (1990) Balance preliminar de la economía de América Latina y el Caribe. New York, NY: United Nations.Google Scholar
(La) Ciudad Futura (1991) Interview with Adolfo Canitrot. No. 28 (April-May): 15.Google Scholar
Cerruti, G. and Ciancaglini, S. (1991) El octavo círculo: Crónica y entretelones de la Argentina menemista. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Planeta Argentina.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991a) “Dolarizan la economía.” 21 March: 1 and passim.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991b) “Rigen desde hoy profundos cambios en la economía.” 1 April: 1 and passim.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991c) “La Argentina rompió con los No Alineados.” 20 September: 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991d) “Desregulan comercio, trabajo y profesiones.” 31 October: 1 and passim.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991e) “Respaldo político de Bush a Menem.” 15 November: 1 and passim.Google Scholar
Clarín (1991f) “700,000 chicos no alcanzan los niveles de supervivencia.” [international edition] 3-9 September: 10.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990a) “Voy a terminar con la patria financiera, dijo Menem.” (16 January): 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990b) “Angeloz comunicó sus condiciones.” (23 February): 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990c) “Está vigente el severo plan de ajuste económico.” (5 March): 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990d) “El ministerio de economía controlará todos los gastos del sector estatal.” (1 September): 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990e) Text of Menem's “Industry Day” speech. (3 September): 1.Google Scholar
Clarín (1989a) Various articles on the “ Ley de Reforma del Estado.” (18 August).Google Scholar
Clarín (1989b) Various articles on the “Ley de Emergencia Económica.” (2 September).Google Scholar
Clarín (1989c) “El plan y sus actores.” (3 September): 6.Google Scholar
Clarín (1989d) “Un encuentro cauteloso.” (8 September): 10-11.Google Scholar
Clarín Económico (1991) “El decretazo.” 3 November: 1 and passim.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990a) “El ajuste del Fondo.” 15 July: 6-7.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990b) “Ley de empleo: contenido del proyecto.” 16 September: 5.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990c) “Salarios medios: el retroceso se acerca al 20 por ciento.” 23 September: 2.Google Scholar
Clarín (1990d) “El ingreso per habitante cayó 26% en diez años.” 30 September: 9.Google Scholar
(El) Cronista Comercial (1989) Interview with Jorge Triaca. 9 June.Google Scholar
Damill, M. and Frenkel, R. (1991) “Hiperinflación y estabilización: la experiencia argentina reciente,” pp. 1-83 in Guillermo Rozenwurcel (ed.) Elecciones y política econ6mica en America Latina. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Tésis S.A. Google Scholar
Diamand, M. (1986) “Overcoming Argentina's Stop-and-Go Cycles,” pp. 129-164 in Jonathan Hartlyn and Samuel A. Morely (eds.) Latin American Political Economy: Financial Crisis and Political Change. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Dornbusch, R. and Carlos de Pablo, J. (1988) Deuda externa e inestabilidad macroeconómica en la Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Sudamericana.Google Scholar
Dornbusch, R. and Edwards, S. (1990) “Macroeconomic Populism.” Journal of Development Economics 33: 247-277.Google Scholar
Evans, Peter (forthcoming) “The State as Problem and Solution: Predation, Embedded Autonomy and Structural Change,” in Haggard, Stephan and Kaufman, Robert (eds.) The Politics of Adjustment: International Constraints, Distributive Justice and the State. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Evans, Peter (1989) “Predatory, Developmental, and Other Apparatuses: A Comparative Political Economy Perspective on the Third World State.” Sociological Forum 4, 4: 561-588.Google Scholar
Fanelli, J.M. and Frenkel, R. (1989) “Growth Exercise for Argentina” (Documentos CEDES/25). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Centros de Estudios para Democracia Social (CEDES).Google Scholar
Fanelli, J., Frenkel, R. and Rozenwurcel, G. (1990) “Growth and Structural Reform in Latin America: Where We Stand” (Documento CEDES/57). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Centros de Estudios para Democracia Social (CEDES).Google Scholar
Fundación para Investigación Económica Latino America (FIEL) (1990) “Erman III: Insuficiente ratificación del rumbo.” Indicadores de Coyuntura 290 (March): 3-4.Google Scholar
Foxley, A. (1983) Latin American Experiments in Neoconservative Economics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Frenkel, R., Fanelli, J. and Sommer, J. (1988) “Proceso de endeudamiento externo argentino” (Documento CEDES/2). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Centros de Estudios para Democracia Social (CEDES).Google Scholar
Frenkel, R. and Rozenwurcel, G. (1988) “Restricción externa e incentivos al crecimiento en América Latina,” pp. 1-42 in Mario Damill et al. Deficit fiscal, deuda externa y desequilibrio financiero. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Tesis.Google Scholar
Frieden, J. (1988) “Debt, Development, and Democracy in Latin America: Classes, Sectors, and International Financial Relations of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.” Comparative Politics 21, 1: 1-20.Google Scholar
Gibson, E. (1990) “Democracy and the New Electoral Right in Argentina.” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 32, 3 (Fall): 177-228.Google Scholar
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (1991) Economic and Social Progress in Latin America: 1990 Report. Washington, DC: IDB.Google Scholar
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Cerisos (INDEC) (1990) “La pobreza urbana en la Argentina.” Estudios INDEC 19.Google Scholar
Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Cerisos (INDEC) (1989) “La pobreza en el conurbano bonaerense.” Estudios INDEC 13.Google Scholar
Istoé/Senhor (1991) “Cavallo Domador.” 11 September: 16-23.Google Scholar
Kandir, A. (1991) Dynamics of Inflation. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.Google Scholar
Latin American Economy and Business (LAEB) (1990a) “Argentina's Military Companies Being Spruced Up for Sale.” October: 16-17.Google Scholar
Latin American Economy and Business (LAEB) (1990b) “How Menem Messed Up Privatization.” October: 1.Google Scholar
Latin American Regional Reports/Southern Cone (LARR/SC) (1990a) “Argentina Seeks to Unblock IMF Standby.” RS-90-03 (19 April): 5.Google Scholar
Latin American Regional Reports/Southern Cone (LARR/SC) (1990a) (1990b) “Menem Says Argentina on the Right Path.” RS/90/04 61 May): 2.Google Scholar
Lewis, P. (1990) The Crisis of Argentine Capitalism. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.Google Scholar
Lipnowski, I. and Maital, S. (1985) “Hanging Together or Separately: A Game-Theoretic Approach to Macroeconomic Conflict,” pp. 39-96 in Maital, Shlomo and Lipnowski, Irwin (eds.) Macroeconomic Conflict and Social Institutions. Cambridge, MA:Ballinger.Google Scholar
Malan, P. (1991) “Uma Crítica ao Consenso de Washington.” Revista de Economia Pol´itica 11, 3: 5-12.Google Scholar
Marshall, A. (1989) “The Fall in Labor's Share in Income and Consumption: A New ‘Growth Model’ for Argentina,” pp. 47-65 in Canak, William (ed.) Lost Promises: Debt, Austerity and Development in Latin America. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Menem, C. and Dromi, R. (1990) Reforma del estado y transformación nacional. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Ciencias de la Administratión S.R.L.Google Scholar
Mercado (1990) “Mala performance.” 28 February: 39-47.Google Scholar
(La) Natión (1990a) “Severa rationalization en empresas publicas.” 30 March: 1.Google Scholar
(La) Natión (1990b) “Expectativas y dudas sobre una tregua social.” 4 March: 4.Google Scholar
(La) Natión (1990c) “Apoyo empresarial al programa economico.” 17 April: 1.Google Scholar
(The) New York Times (1991a) “Argentina: An Emerging Capital Market” (special paid insert). 24 September.Google Scholar
(The) New York Times (1991b) “Argentina Deregulates Its Economy.” 2 November: 21. Noticias de la Semana (1991) “Una imagen mucho mas pobre.” 16 September: 36-37.Google Scholar
Nylen, W. (1990) “Liberalismo para Todo Mundo, Menos Eu': Brazil and the Neoliberal ‘Solution'” (Conference Paper 25). New York, NY: Columbia University-New York University Consortium.Google Scholar
O'Donnell, G. (1976) “State and Alliances in Argentina, 1956-1976.” Journal of Development Studies 15, 1: 3-33.Google Scholar
Orsatti, A. (1989) “El ciclo de los salarios y el empleo en el quinquenio radical (1984-1988).” Nuevo Proyecto 5-6: 113-126.Google Scholar
Ostiguy, P. (1990) Los capitanes de la Industria: Grandes empresarios, política e economía en la Argentina de los años 80. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Legasa.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990a) “CGT muestra las uñas.” 8 March: 3.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990b) “Advierte Alfonsĩn que si no hay acuerdo vendrá el autoritarismo.” 8 March: 1.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990c) “Rechazó Angeloz el ingreso de sus hombres a Economía.” 17 March: 3. repetirse.” 17 March: 4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990e) “Seis para triunfar: Chicago boys en el gobierno.” 1 April: 4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990f) “Donde hubo fuego, cenizas quedan: Born apoya a Menem.” 17 April: 4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1990g) “El estilo Maggie: regulatión del derecho de huelga.” 22 April: 4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1989a) “La triple alianza: Born, CEA y las Marías.” 23 July: 3-4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1989b) “Los capitanes de la industria quieren formar un nuevo equipo.” 6 September: 3.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1989c) “Llegó la hora de los empresarios.” 3 September: 4.Google Scholar
Página/12 (1989d) “Nunca se había visto algo así.” 14 September: 6.Google Scholar
Paz, P. (1989) “La gestión económica del radicalismo (1983/88).” Nuevo Proyecto 5-6: 79-112.Google Scholar
Ramos, J. (1986) Neoconservative Economics in the Southern Cone of Latin America, 1973-1983. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Remmer, K. (1991) “The Political Impact of Economic Crisis in Latin America in the 1980s.” American Political Science Review 85, 3 (September): 777-800.Google Scholar
Rose, M. (1991a) “Cavallo's Converts.” Latin Finance 28 (June): 49-52.Google Scholar
Rose, M. (1991b) “Serious Action: The Argentine Capital Markets.” Latin Finance 28 (June): 54-60.Google Scholar
Schvarzer, J. (1989) Bunge & Born: crecimiento y diversificación de un grupo económico. Buenos Aires, Argentina: CISEA/Grupo Editor Latinoamericano.Google Scholar
Smith, W. (1990) “Democracy, Distributive Conflicts and Macroeconomic Policymaking in Argentina (1983-1989).” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 32, 2 (Summer): 1-42.Google Scholar
Smith, W. (1989a) Authoritarianism and the Crisis of the Argentine Political Economy. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Smith, W. (1989b) “Heterodox Shocks and the Political Economy of Democratic Transition in Argentina and Brazil,” pp. 138-168 in William Canak (ed.) Lost Promises: Debt, Austerity and Development in Latin America. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Smith, W. (1985) “Reflections on the Political Economy and Authoritarian Rule and Capitalist Reorganization in Contemporary Argentina,” pp. 37-88 in Philip O'Brien and Paul Cammack (eds.) Generals in Retreat: The Crisis of Military Rule in Latin America. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
Somos (1990a) “Este país va hacia la soledad.” 21 February: 16-18.Google Scholar
Somos (1990b) “Debemos admitir la hegemonia de EE.UU.” 6 September: 18-19.Google Scholar
Somos (1989) “Por que Rapanelli.” 19 July: 4-8.Google Scholar
Suplemento de la Revista Noticias (1990) Interview with Carlos Menem. 3 March.Google Scholar
Verbitsky, H. (1990) “(Aspen)as son de nosotros, la vaquitas son ajenas.” Página/12 (13 May): 10-11.Google Scholar
Williamson, J. (ed.) (1990) Latin American Adjustment: How Much Has Happened? Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics (HE).Google Scholar
Zlotogwiazda, M. (1990) “Quiénes son los grupos economicos que se quedan con las empresas y negocios del Estado.” Pagina/12 [Suplemento Economico] (1 July): 1-3.Google Scholar