ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with Argentina's experience with austerity policy. In particular, it asks whether the type of political regime in power has made any significant difference in the allocation of required sacrifice. The chapter examines the purported correspondence that has existed over the years between particular regimes and particular economic policies. It explores the relationship between austerity policies and the pattern of beneficiaries of each regime. The chapter outlines the linkages between state and society in each of the several Argentine regimes under discussion in an effort to evaluate public policy as a response to coalitional politics. It describes a contrast between the domestic political factors, and the international pressures on policymakers—specifically the influence of the International Monetary Fund. As economic policy encountered difficulties in reaching desired goals, pressures to make adjustments often threatened the integrity of each political coalition.
