The Legacies of Liberalism

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Focusing on the political regimes of Central America in the twentieth century, the book analyzes the impact of nineteenth-century liberal reforms on Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Through the concept of "path dependence," it illustrates how historical choices shaped the political landscape, resulting in military-authoritarian, liberal democratic, and traditional dictatorial regimes. The author warns that aggressive market creation in the neoliberal era may lead to detrimental political outcomes, providing a theoretical framework relevant to scholars of comparative politics and historical analysis.