Title
The Sandinista legacy : lessons from a political economy in transition
Role
Ilja A. Luciak
Files
Document Type
Book
Description/Summary
When the Sandinistas came to power in Nicaragua, they promised to establish social and economic democracy. As Ilja Luciak tells us in this study of regime transitions, their legacy is mixed, though they deserve credit for institutionalizing electoral democracy. While they improved the life of the peasantry and achieved an impressive record in the areas of education and health, by 1990 their progress had been halted and in many instances reversed. Luciak maintains that the Sandinistas' loss at the polls in 1990 was a blessing in disguise: after eleven years in power, the revolutionary movement needed time to rejuvenate itself and return to its popular roots. He examines the evolution of Sandinista democracy and analyzes Sandinista policies toward two rural grassroots movements, the Association of Rural Workers and the National Union of Farmers and Ranchers, showing the inevitable tension that results when a vanguard party attempts to strengthen participatory democracy.
ISBN
9780813013695
Publication Date
1-1-1995
Publication Information
Luciak, Ilja A., The Sandinista legacy: lessons from a political economy in transition. Gainesville : University Press of Florida, c1995.
Rights
Copyright: University Press of Florida, c1995.
Recommended Citation
Luciak, Ilja A., "The Sandinista legacy : lessons from a political economy in transition" (1995). Walter J. Petry Book Gallery. 38.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/petry-books/38