ABSTRACT
From the 1920s onwards, Chile experienced profound political and institutional changes which marked the end of the dominance by the traditional aristocracy. This was replaced by a new political class coming mainly from the urban middle-class‥ In the early 1930s, Chile underwent a period of serious political and social revolt. This was partly the result of the worldwide recession, which hit the Chilean economy particularly hard. However, despite this complex scenario, the climate of extreme political instability did not significantly affect government agencies as far as public probity was concerned. A key feature of the Chilean state since 1930 has been the relative autonomy enjoyed by public agencies and enterprises. This has kept these institutions relatively insulated from direct pressure and influences from political and social forces. This chapter ends with an analysis of the Frei and Allende governments (1964–1973), which implemented profound political and economic reforms in the country This created a certain commotion among the public and an explosive and confrontational climate between the sectors that supported the government and the opposition, culminating in the collapse of the democratic regime. However, and despite the increasing political disorder and economic difficulties the country experienced in those years, traditional public probity remained almost unaltered during that period.
