Thinking Politics

Because of Latin America's long history of military juntas, analysts who have studied regime change in the region have focused on political and military elites. In the recent case of Chile, however, the success of democratic transition can be credited in large part to the remarkable influence of intellectuals involved in public affairs. In "Thinking Politics" Jeffrey Puryear examines this unprecedented role played by intellectuals in Chile's return to democracy. From his long association with Latin America, Puryear brings his experience along with access to many of Chile's leading intellectuals and politicians. He shows how, with the coming of the Pinochet regime, autonomous think tanks were established - with significant foreign support - by those who disagreed with the military government's policies. These academic research centres attracted dissident and disaffected intellectuals who sought to maintain critical, independent discussion of politics, economics, and social change.
Testing the limits of their traditional roles, Chile's intellectuals worked actively over a 15-year period to influence opposition thinking, deepen commitment to pluralist democracy, modernize political methods, and bring about an earlier and more complete transition to democracy. The Chilean experience, Puryear concludes, highlights the potentially important role of intellectuals in promoting democracy in Latin America and elsewhere - and the importance of foreign assistance in supporting them.