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The Electoral Consequences Of Neoliberal Reform Explaining Voter Turnout In Latin America's Dual Transition Era, R. Ryan Younger

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Voter turnout has declined precipitously during Latin America's 25 year experience with representative democracy. This decline has occurred in conjunction with another important trend. Across the region, economic development directed by state leaders and characterized by heavy state intervention has been replaced by a development model, commonly referred to as the Washington Consensus, in which markets are the preferred instrument for growth and the state plays a minimal role. This means that as people were casting off their undemocratic past, their economies were also undergoing fundamental change. This simultaneous turn to democratic governments and marketbased economic policy is commonly called …