Examining the Consequences of Neoliberal Theory on Chile's Democracy
Abstract
The complicity of the United States in the military coup which led to Augusto Pinochet’s rise of power highlights their subsequent interference in Chile’s economic development. Chile served as a laboratory for the United States' neoliberal experiment before introducing similar reforms domestically. This thesis critically appraises the consequences of neoliberalism on democracy in Chile since the military coup in 1973, with a focus on the policies implemented under Pinochet's technocratic government. These policies, crafted by a group of Chilean economists studying free-market capitalism at the University of Chicago, were based on the economic doctrine of individual freedoms in a free market with no government interference. This project evaluates the relationship between neoliberalism and democracy in Chile by analyzing the implementation of two major economic measures: privatization and cuts in social spending. These structural changes have further advanced neoliberalism's inclination to marketize the social sphere, political institutions, and individuals. The thesis examines how each economic measure has encroached upon the ideals of democracy, with a specific emphasis on their effects on Chile's financial, education, and health sectors. Overall, this research highlights how the rising global trend of prioritizing economic interests over other values threatens the freedoms and liberties that democracy aims to guarantee all human beings. This thesis affirms that the introduction and maintenance of neoliberalism in Chile undermine its social and political democracy.
Citation
Kumar, Sneha (2023). Examining the Consequences of Neoliberal Theory on Chile's Democracy. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /200297.