Argentina Trapped: The Intimate Link Between Short-Term Policy Orientation and Economic Volatility

• Main Author: Nooney, Hannah F
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2012
• Subjects: Argentina; Political Economy; Economic Crisis; Economic History; Short-Term; Volatility; Latin American Studies
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/502; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1534&context=cmc_theses

Argentina, throughout its history, has fallen prey to a unique brand of “exceptionalism.” While it is well-endowed with both the physical and demographic inputs to successful economic growth and development, its story has been defined by a consistent inability to reach its economic potential. This work examines how the nation’s political economy dynamics create an environment that is not conducive to long-term economic development. Through an analysis of both historical factors and the country’s present situation, it focuses on how the primacy of short-term factors has become entrenched in the economic policymaking process. The discussion is comprised of a fusion of economic, political, sociological, and psychological elements, which join together in attempting to explain the duration, magnitude, and repetitive nature of Argentina’s economic woes. This exploration of the past, the present, and their interaction offers insight into the specific factors that continue to keep Argentina from achieving a sustainable development path.