Monday, February 25, 2008

New book by Steve Ellner

Rethinking Venezuelan Politics: Class, Conflict, and the Chavez Phenomenon

Steve Ellner

Lynne Rienner, January 2008/260 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-58826-560-9 HC $55.00

In this fresh look at Venezuelan politics, Steve Ellner emphasizes the central significance of the country s economic and social cleavages. Ellner's journey through modern Venezuelan history—observing popular masses and social actors as much as political elites and formal institutions—fundamentally informs his analysis of Hugo Chávez's presidency and the "Bolivarian Revolution" at its core. Perhaps equally important, as he explores the rise of Chávismo, opposition within the country and abroad, internal tensions in the Chávista movement, and the trajectory of the Chávez government domestically and on the international stage, he sheds new light not only on Venezuela, but also on the recent political turmoil elsewhere in Latin America.

CONTENTS:
Foreword—Kenneth Roberts.
Introduction: Rethinking Venezuelan Politics.
From the Colonial Period to 1958: A Brief Overview.
Venezuela's "Model" Democracy, 1958-1989.
Neoliberal Reforms and Political Crisis, 1989-1999.
The Four Stages of the Chávez Presidency.
Conflicting Currents in the Chávez Movement.
The Chávez Movement's Top-Down and Grassroots Approaches.
The Chávez Government in the International Arena.
Conclusion.

1 comment:

Miguel Centellas said...

I've used the earlier Ellner/Hellinger book (Venezuelan Politics in the Chavez Era: Class, Polarization & Conflict) in a class on populism in Latin America. So I've no doubt that this is a great book.