ABSTRACT
This chapter characterizes the evolution of the Nicaraguan experiment, making reference both to other transitional experiences and to the unique characteristics of the Nicaraguan model. It develops a set of criteria by which to characterize a transition as socialist, drawing these criteria from a brief comparison of the experiences of the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China (especially during their periods of transition) and from an examination of the "third path" of "democratic socialism" attempted in Jamaica in the 1970s. The chapter contrasts the Nicaraguan experience with comparable periods in what might be viewed as the contemporary application in the Western Hemisphere of the archetypal Marxist-Leninist or orthodox socialist model: the Cuban revolution. It concludes by raising questions about the possibilities for self-sustaining economic progress in Nicaragua and by noting the challenge that the Nicaraguan model presents for US policy.
