The Military in South American Politics

First published in 1985, The Military in South American Politics analyses the nature of military involvement in politics in Latin America. The author presents many original arguments in the course of his discussion of the key issues. These include: the civil-military system, whereby the military exert power and influence even when they are not in government; how this system and also military professionalism have developed over time; how the “corporatist” ethic of South America military differs from the “partisan” ethic of the military in Central American and Caribbean countries and the consequences of this; how there are different types of coups; how the military find it difficult to disengage; how the military often intervene to exercise the principle of “guardianship” in order to preserve the fabric of society and economy which, in South America, are remarkably stable despite the many coups. Throughout, the author draws on examples from all Latin American countries from the middle of the nineteenth century onwards and summarises the existing literature to support his rich and convincing arguments. The book concludes with a summary of the arguments and with a discussion of trends and the prospects for “real” democratisation. It is a must read for students and researchers of Latin American politics and military studies.