Question 1

The populist crisis in the 1960s and 1970s refers to&#10;A) Political polarization and excessive demands on institutions that contributed to the decay of democracy&#10;B) The rise of populist leaders who made alliances with military generals to bring down democracy&#10;C) The election of Communist presidents in several countries&#10;D) The attempts to undermine populist democracies by Cuban back guerilla organizations

Accepted Answer

The populist crisis in the 1960s and 1970s is characterized by political polarization and excessive demands on institutions, which strained and in some cases contributed to the weakening or decay of democratic systems.

Question 2

For theorists of the pluralist school of thought, the most important actors to watch in any breadown of or transition to democracy are:&#10;A) The masses of people making demands&#10;B) Elites and their interactions with each other&#10;C) International actors trying to influence the outcome&#10;D) The generals and admirals with the ability to suppress demonstrators

Accepted Answer

Pluralist theorists emphasize the role of diverse groups and interests within a society, particularly focusing on how elites and their interactions shape political outcomes. They argue that the behavior and negotiations among various elite groups are crucial in determining the stability of democracy or the dynamics of a democratic breakdown or transition.

Question 3

During the populist crisis the role of the United States was as:&#10;A) An outside onlooker with little influence&#10;B) A mediator that unsuccessful worked for a compromise to save democracy&#10;C) A good neighbor that conditioned both military and economic aid on respect for democracy&#10;D) As an actor that used intelligence services and diplomacy to encourage the overthrow of left populist govenrments

Accepted Answer

The United States, particularly during the Cold War era, often used intelligence services and diplomatic efforts to influence or even encourage the overthrow of left-leaning populist governments in Latin America and other regions, viewing them as a threat to its interests and to the containment of communism.

Question 4

What was the &#34;Dirty War&#34;?&#10;A) The Argentine military's attempt to eliminate urban guerillas by disappearing, killing and torturing thousands of the country's citizens&#10;B) The Falkland/Malvinas War between Argentina and Chile&#10;C) Cuban funding of terrorist organizations in the Southern Cone&#10;D) Brazil and Argentina's joint invasion of Paraguay to oust a radical govenrment

Accepted Answer

The "Dirty War" refers to the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1976 to 1983, during which the military dictatorship targeted suspected dissidents and subversives, resulting in the disappearance, torture, and killing of thousands of people.

Question 5

What does 9/11 mean to Chileans?&#10;A) It marks the day leftist terrorists bombed the presidential palace in 1973&#10;B) It signifies the date that the Chilean Air Force bombed the presidential palace during a coup in 1973&#10;C) It marks the day that Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile&#10;D) It marks the day that General Pinochet stepped down after 18 years in power.

Accepted Answer

9/11 for Chileans refers to September 11, 1973, when the Chilean Air Force bombed the presidential palace during a military coup that led to the overthrow of President Salvador Allende and the beginning of General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.

Question 6

Brazil's military carried out a coup in 1964, then again four years later in 1968. What was going on?&#10;A) The first could initated a scorched earth war worse than any other in the Southern Cone, the second lightened up on the repression&#10;B) The first was carried out by leftist officers, the second by the right.&#10;C) The first was by the Navy, the second by the Army&#10;D) The first coup were led by soldiers who wanted to restore order and return to civilian rule; the second by generals intending transition to a new regime.

Accepted Answer

The first coup in 1964 was indeed led by military officers who aimed to restore order amidst political instability and prevent what they saw as a communist threat, with the intention of eventually returning power to civilian rule. However, the situation did not stabilize as hoped, leading to a second coup in 1968, this time by generals who sought to establish a longer-term military regime, marking the beginning of a more repressive phase in Brazil's military dictatorship that lasted until 1985.

Question 7

Bureaucraric authoritarian dictatorship were regimes:&#10;A) Where the military mde sure could be little criticism or resistance to neoliberal economic policies designed by economic experts&#10;B) Where civilians held the real reins of power and coordinaed military repression of dissent&#10;C) Where populists carried out purges of experts in the bureaucracy&#10;D) Where state functionaries had aquired so much power that the marketplace could barely functin.

Accepted Answer

Bureaucratic authoritarian dictatorships, such as those in Latin America during the Cold War, were characterized by military-led governments that suppressed opposition to implement neoliberal economic reforms designed by technocrats. These regimes prioritized economic restructuring over political freedoms, often leading to widespread human rights abuses.

Question 8

Pluralists see democratic transitions as:&#10;A) Primarily a game of elite negotiation among elites&#10;B) A process whereby mass protest in the street ultimately convinces a dictator that it is time to go&#10;C) A regime change what opens the door for significant changes in the basic economic and social power structures&#10;D) A process in which former military rulers are held accountable for crimes and corruption

Accepted Answer

Pluralists view democratic transitions as primarily a game of elite negotiation among elites, emphasizing the role of negotiations and agreements among a country's political elites in the shift towards democracy.

Question 9

Chile's transition is a model for:&#10;A) The restoration of polyarchy without change in the basic economic model&#10;B) Establishment of a democracy that brings about economic growth and equality&#10;C) Once and for all removing the threat of a raturn of military rule&#10;D) Accountability and restorative justice after miitary rule

Accepted Answer

Chile's transition to democracy is often cited as a model for the restoration of polyarchy (a form of limited democracy) without significant changes to the neoliberal economic model that was implemented during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. This transition allowed for political pluralism and elections without fundamentally altering the economic policies that were in place.

Question 10

After Argentina's transition a Peronist name Saul Menem became president and governed for most of the 1990s. Which of the following best represents his presidency?&#10;A) He brought back the old economic policies of Juan and Eva Peron&#10;B) He brought military officers to justice&#10;C) His plan to tie peso to the dollar halt the country's extraordinary inflation but eventually led to a financial crisis&#10;D) He veared to the left on social and economic policy, so the militiary intervened again to froce new elections.

Accepted Answer

Menem's presidency is best characterized by his economic policy, particularly the Convertibility Plan which pegged the Argentine peso to the U.S. dollar. This initially brought stability and reduced inflation but ultimately contributed to a severe financial crisis in the early 2000s.

Question 11

Uruguay in the period after military rule&#10;A) Escaped bureaucratic authoritarianism by moderating populist economic policies&#10;B) Found itself once again threatened by war between Argentina and Brazil&#10;C) Was one of the few countries where the former rulers were generally respected and popular&#10;D) Found it difficult to resolve the conflict between the call for justice from victims of military rule and fear the military might re-take power

Accepted Answer

The answer of Uruguay in the period after military rule&#10;A)...

Deck 8: Democratic Breakdown and Military Rule