ABSTRACT
In twentieth century, the Chilean development model and political system suffered crises and were reformulated. The most significant turning points were the promulgation of the Constitution of 1925 and the economic crisis of 1929. The forces supporting the social model attempted since the military coup in 1973 view this triple process as the main cause of Chilean decline and consider its reversal absolutely necessary for rebuilding the country. A contradictory myth arising from the opposite perspective places the blame instead on the retrogression to dependent authoritarian capitalism brought about by the military regime and attempts to paint the rosy history of Chilean democracy. The backbone of Chilean society was formed by a system linking social subjects and actors to the state and a network of relationships between the organizations of civil society and political party structures. This backbone’s strength derived from the increasing extension of political participation.
