Chile and Professor MacLean’s Democracy in Chains

Following the return to democracy, many of the constitutional and legal frameworks established or reshaped during the Pinochet dictatorship continued to influence how land, water, social rights and natural resources are governed. 

Chile as a paradigmatic case of neoliberal state formation, where democracy coexists with deeply entrenched legal, economic, and territorial constraints that favor some and disempower others. The exemplary case of contemporary Chilean history relies on constitutional and legal changes that restrict popular sovereignty and power over resources and reduce formerly guaranteed social rights.

 Explore Post-Dictatorship Society, Power, and Resources Across Chile

Our program uses Chile as a case study to explore contemporary questions of democracy, privatization, political economy, and resource ownership. Across the country, students will travel through different productive regions and meet Chilean scholars, journalists, professionals, and civil society members, connecting national history, public policy with the population of Chile.