Review by Choice Review
Writing about the breakdown of a liberal democratic political system and its subsequent transition back to democracy, Gillespie convincingly argues that the small nation of Uruguay represented a special case in Latin American democracy prior to the military coup of 1973. He credits this exceptionality to the lack of a tradition of military involvement in the nation's politics and the strength of its competitive party system. That the most stable Latin American democracy succumbed to military rule was the result of a number of factors, including the development of ideological extremism within the political parties and other groups, economic crises, political violence, and an expanded military concern with national security issues. The transition back to democratic rule would be a tortuous process, painstakingly detailed by Gillespie. The bulk of the book is devoted to an examination of the key role of the political parties in returning Uruguay to democracy. The myriad personalities, the strategies of the various political parties, and the eventual compromise hammered out between the military and the political parties would lead to a peaceful political liberalization. Gillespie concludes by urging more comparative analyses of the role of political parties in democratic transitions. A worthwhile book for all library collections.-L. Chen, Indiana University at South Bend
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
