ABSTRACT
Uruguay is the smallest of the South American republics, but the distinctiveness of its political experience and innovations far transcends its size. The unique qualities of Uruguayan democracy have been little known, let alone understood, outside the country. Uruguayan economic history is particularly important for understanding the country's politics and government. Civic Union disappeared following redemocratization, replaced by Nuevo Espacio, an organization of radical Catholics and social democrats some of whom had supported the Broad Front. Uruguay has a centralized government and is divided into nineteen departments, including the capital city of Montevideo. Local governments will be elected at a different time from the national government, allowing ticket-splitting for the first time in history. The voters have indicated that although a majority still favors the rule of Colorados and Blancos, they want more creative solutions to the country's endemic problems of high unemployment arid mediocre growth.
