The limits of liberalism in Argentine provinces 1890-1940: An analysis of provincial expenditures

• Published in: Portal (Sydney, N.S.W.) N.S.W.), 2008-01, Vol.5 (1), p.1-18
• Main Authors: Ross, Peter J, Levy, James R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Argentina; Citizens; Economic Policy; Economics; education; Elites; Expenditures; Government Spending; Housing; Liberalism; Nationalism; police; Political aspects; Political development; Political Elites; Political participation; provinces; Social Justice; Social Welfare; Societies, etc; State building; welfare
• ISSN: 1449-2490; 1449-2490
• DOI: 10.5130/portal.v5i1.478

The last quarter of the nineteenth century witnessed a decisive turn in the economic and political trajectory of Argentina. Economically, the nation experienced considerable growth based on the export of agro pastoral products, the expansion of infrastructure particularly railways and ports, and the importation of large numbers of workers, particularly from Italy and Spain, but also from many other European states, and from neighbouring countries (Devoto 2007; Benencia 2007). The principles that underlay this expansion were liberal. Argentina exported primary products (grains and meat) with some value adding in the case of meat, and imported manufactures. Import substitution industrialisation did occur, generally in times of international crises (the 1890s, World War 1, and the 1930s) but was not based on government policy in the period under consideration, though the fact that national revenues were dependent on custom taxes did encourage some manufacturing growth (Rapoport 2006: 172). Laissez faire, however, remained the hegemonic economic doctrine, and not just of the large landowners, international merchants and financiers, but also of many of the groups that represented the interests of the working class including the Socialist Party. The latter argued that laissez faire lowered the costs of many of the products that working families had to buy (Solberg 1973: 265).