Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the performance of the manufacturing sector in Chile from 1974 to 1982, looking specifically at the effect of the "neoconservative" or "monetarist experiment" implemented in Chile during that period on the behavior of the Chilean industrial sector. It examines the period of recovery that began in 1984 when the experiment had ended. The book focuses on the theoretical issues underlying the study of deindustrialization. It presents the relevant indicators available to measure Chilean deindustrialization. The book explains the results by examining the performance of industrial output and employment in Chile during the 1960s and in other developing and Latin American countries. It deals with general description of the policies implemented to open the economy to international trade and also presents the methodology used to measure the sources of structural change among manufacturing groups.