Journal of Historical Political Economy > Vol 1 > Issue 4

No Need for Democracy: Interelite Conflict and Independence in the Andes

Raúl Aldaz Peña, San Francisco School of Economics, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, raulalberto.aldaz@gmail.com
 
Suggested Citation
Raúl Aldaz Peña (2021), "No Need for Democracy: Interelite Conflict and Independence in the Andes", Journal of Historical Political Economy: Vol. 1: No. 4, pp 561-590. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/115.00000020

Publication Date: 01 Dec 2021
© 2021 R. Aldaz Peña
 
Subjects
Comparative political economy,  Comparative politics,  Democratization,  Game theory,  Political economy
 
Keywords
Independencedemocracyinstitutional persistenceAndesLatin America
 

Share

Login to download a free copy
In this article:
Introduction 
The Political Economy of Democracy 
Conflict, Democracy and Nondemocracy 
Conclusions 
References 

Abstract

Institutions are a key explanation for long-run development, but we still do not know why institutions persist even after drastic political changes. This article explains how and why institutions persisted after the breakdown of colonial rule and the establishment of new republics. The paper analyses a society composed by two elites (economic and political) and a nonelite. This article characterizes the conditions for accommodation between elites, conflict (i.e., independence) and the emergence of a nondemocracy. Two elements prevented accommodation between elites and ultimately led to independence: their similar strength and the political elite's inability to attract the nonelite. The ability of the economic elite to attract the nonelite to the independence army provided a credible mechanism to redistribute wealth and political power. With this mechanism, institutional changes, like the extension of the franchise (i.e., democracy), was not needed. This framework can help understand institutional persistence after the breakdown of colonial rule.

DOI:10.1561/115.00000020

Companion

Journal of Historical Political Economy, Volume 1, Issue 4 Special Issue - Historical Persistence, Part I: Articles Overview
See the other articles that are part of this special issue.