Description
Book SynopsisExplores the role played by technocrats in the political and institutional evolution of Chile since the late nineteenth century until today, with emphasis on the period from 1938-1973 as well as the period following democratic restoration in 1990.
Trade Review“State organization was highly elaborated in Chile well before it took shape in neighboring republics. The required technical expertise was supplied by highly developed systems of educational and professional training that nurtured a local technocratic elite. Much that is distinctive about Chilean politics—both under democracy and during the dictatorship—can only be understood in this context. Patricio Silva is a master of this topic, and his analysis not only illustrates the strange dynamics of Chilean political development but also indicates why that experience has proved difficult to transfer elsewhere.”
—Laurence Whitehead,Oxford University
“There are many books that look at Chile’s political history in the twentieth century, but very few have focused on the critical role that technocrats have had on the country’s economy and politics. In The Name of Reason provides an outstanding analysis of the forces that have stimulated the development of technocratic groups in Chile and their impact on the country’s economy and society. Patricio Silva presents a new and creative analysis of critical economic policies and the role of technocrats both under democratic and authoritarian regimes. This book is essential reading for those interested in Chilean politics, economic policy making, and the role of technocrats in Chile.”
—Silvia Borzutzky,Carnegie Mellon University
“In the Name of Reason brilliantly shakes up the pejorative conventional wisdom regarding technocracy and democracy. Patricio Silva links the problem of technocracy to the larger question of the role of the middle class in Latin American politics and socioeconomic development. Largely of middle-class origins, technocrats may make a positive contribution by offering their political masters a buffer from political pressures in the policy process, thereby contributing to political stability and state-building.”
—Eduardo Silva,University of Missouri, St. Louis
Table of ContentsContents
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
List of Acronyms
Introduction: Technocrats and Politics in Chile
1 Scientific Politics in Chile: The Positivist Design
2 Pablo Ramírez and the “Administrative State”
3 Technocrats and the Entrepreneurial State
4 The Age of Global Planning
5 Pinochet and the Chicago Boys
6 The Concertación and the Emergence of a Technocratic Democracy
7 Technocracy in Chile: Past, Present, and Future
References
Index
