Chile's Christian Democratic Party

The ascension to power of Chile's Christian Democratic Party (PDC) in 1964 generated a great deal of optimism on the future of Latin American politics. Eduardo Frei Montalva, the party's successful presidential candidate, was a thoughtful, politically astute intellectual who preferred careful analysis to florid demagoguery. To a continent enamored of ideologies, his movement proposed a social-Christian value system rooted in individual dignity, in the uniqueness of the human being, in economic pluralism, and in social and political democracy. Roman Catholicism with which the Christian Democrats were associated, but not officially connected, was one of the “few crosscutting and unifying forces” in Latin America and served to legitimize the movement with both traditional and modernizing elites. Frei's party evinced a mass membership with a branch structure3 linked to auxiliary agencies (which provide medical, dental, legal services, and the like). It relied on an efficient, paid bureaucracy rather than a coterie of notables to operate the organizational apparatus; public opinion polls rather than uninformed guesses to chart political strategy; dues and voluntary contributions rather than ”mordidas” and graft for financial sustenance; and specialized organs rather than personalism to aggregate such increasingly important sectors as women, peasants, urban poor, and students under the Christian Democratic standard

Bureaucracy · Democracy · Ideology · Pluralism (philosophy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Presidential system · Realpolitik · Sociology · Cultural and Social Studies in Latin America · Law · Political and Social Dynamics in Chile and Latin America

• Revolution, Counterrevolution, and the Catholic Church in Chile

  Open Access•Paul E Sigmund•The Annals of the American…•1986

  Incluir item

• El faccionalismo en el Partido Socialista de Chile (1990-2006)

  Open Access•Ricardo Gamboa, Rodrigo Salcedo•Revista de ciencia política•2009

  Incluir item

• Latin American Catholicism's Opening to the Left

  Open Access•Paul E Sigmund•The Review of Politics•1973

  Incluir item

• The Alliance for Progress and Chile's "Revolution in Liberty," 1964-1970

  Open Access•Albert L Michaels•Journal of Interamerican Studies…•1976

  Incluir item

• Political parties and political development

  Joseph Lapalombara, Myron Weiner•Political parties and political…•1969

  Incluir item

• Accion Democratica

  J Lloyd Mecham, John D Martz•The American Historical Review•1966

  Incluir item

• Accion Democratica

  John D Martz•Accion Democratica•1966

  Incluir item

• The 1965 Congressional Election in Chile

  Open Access•Orville G Cope•Journal of Inter-American Studies•1968

  Incluir item

• Political Development and Political Decay

  Open Access•Samuel P Huntington•World Politics•1965

  Incluir item

• Latin-American Political Parties and Ideologies

  Open Access•Donald W Bray•The Review of Politics•1967

  Incluir item

• Latin American Christian Democratic Parties

  John D Martz, Edward J Williams•Hispanic American Historical Review•1968

  Incluir item