Paper short abstract:

My paper explores how different interpretations of political economy in different Latin American countries affected policy debates and even outcomes. The topic offers a window onto the variable relationship between political and economic liberalisms as they developed during the nineteenth century.

Paper long abstract:

Political economy was not introduced into Latin America's main educational institutions as a discipline until the mid-nineteenth century, but terms and ideas drawn from it featured prominently in public debates as soon as the possibility of independence arose. This paper aims to chart the development of this crucial element of nation-building knowledge in Latin America, identifying which ideas and approaches were significant, by whom they were disseminated, and how far they circulated through the national territories. The work of prominent political and intellectual figures is bound to be part of the story, but I will also explore the contributions of less famous exponents of political economy, such as the Frenchman Courcelle-Seneuil, who was invited by the Chilean government to establish the subject at the Instituto Nacional. While based in Chile during the 1850s he also wrote a widely read book comparing tariff policy in Chile with that of France, Britain and the United States. Thus not only was political economy important to Latin American nation-building, but the experiences of the new Latin American countries could serve as a touchstone for confirming or refuting theoretical claims. The main purpose of the paper will be to explore how different interpretations of political economy in different Latin American countries may have affected policy debates and even outcomes. The topic offers a window onto the relationship between political and economic liberalisms as they developed during the nineteenth century, particularly the variations across Latin America.