Democracy Against Neoliberalism in Argentina and Brazil : A Move to the Left

Há sempre um grande grau de insatisfação . . . nós nunca estamos suficientemente organizados. [There is always a major degree of dissatisfaction . . . we're never sufficiently organized.] This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the emergence of left-wing politics in two of the largest South American nations: Argentina and Brazil. It looks in particular at the transformation of democracy seen as "point of arrival" into democracy seen as an unending struggle for greater equality. This book examines the complex roots of the left turn in Argentina and Brazil. Originating in the 1990s in a process of mobilization from below against neoliberalism, this turn gained visibility in the 2000s and continues through the present day. Offering an in-depth analysis of key protagonists, including social movement and trade union organizations, Juan Pablo Ferrero deploys an original analytical model for understanding the nature, meaning, and organizational complexity of the emerging democratic force. Democracy against Neoliberalism in Argentina and Brazil asks us to examine closely what we mean by democracy and offers suggestions for how the left should approach democratic manifestations in order to make radical democracy the center of a renewed political strategy Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-6 Interrogating Democracy: From Political Regimes to Politics....Pages 7-35 Trade Unions and Social Movement Organizations within and beyond Neoliberal Times....Pages 37-69 Self-organizing: Grass-roots Activation....Pages 71-101 Networking: Horizontal Deliberation by Default....Pages 103-127 Demanding: The Political Effect of Social Demands....Pages 129-155 From Heterogeneous Complexity to Antagonistic Simplicity: The Institution of the Limit....Pages 157-177 From Disagreement to Participation? A Move to the Left....Pages 179-203 Conclusion....Pages 205-210 Back Matter....Pages 211-264