ABSTRACT
This chapter explores this endogenous politicization, focusing especially on reform movements that may be viewed as turning points in that process. It shows that second-generation movements unfolded in two stages modernization and radicalization in order to characterize this phenomenon which struggled to reorganize the higher education system on the basis of new guidelines. The reforms carried out in some of the major public universities in this short period showcased the existing historical hurdles for university reforms, both inside and outside universities. The second university reform should be understood against the backdrop of the development of a complex and contradictory ideological setting that is, the partisan confrontations and political divides that proved the frailty of both Argentinas State and educational system. The analysis of this juncture, thus, provides an opportunity to look at the relationship between the university and the State, gaining a better understanding of the historical elasticity of academic autonomy and its dynamic link to internal and external forces.
