ABSTRACT
There is a persistent belief that, since the 1973 coup, Chile has implemented “a” successful economic model. The fact, however, is that the almost half-century since the overthrow of democracy is made up of sub-periods in which the emphasis, the external context, public policies, and the economic and social results have been quite different. The fact is that only in the first decade of democracy growth was quite vigorous and somewhat inclusive, but since the end of that decade, it started to decline. When Chile suffered a “social explosion” in late 2019, it surprised many in Chile and abroad. Here the evolution of economic reforms, policies, and outcomes in 1973–2013 are summarized.
