The divided center: Middle-class parties and political realignment in Chile, 1948--1958

This research focuses on the social and political history of Chile during 1948-1958. It discusses the role of the middle class in promoting structural and political reforms including democratization. My analysis centers on the role of the middle-class political parties and their relationship with white-collar workers, retailers, and middle-class women. Many authors asserted that after World War Two the middle-class reformist parties and their middle class supporters shifted to the right. As workers became more radical, the middle class sought alliances with the elites. This research suggests that middle-class leaders were divided after 1948. The analysis in this dissertation relied primarily on archival materials, periodicals, government documents, and interviews to examine the middle class in Chile.;The political stability based upon the unity of middle-class parties under Radical Party leadership had ended by 1948-1950. Nevertheless, during the 1950s much of the middle-class political leadership advocated for substantial reforms. Throughout Latin America middle-class politicians worked with the left to oust dictators and re-democratize their nations. By 1958 more democracies existed in Latin America than at any other time. Although in Chile the middle-class political parties formed an alliance with the left to implement the secret ballot and legalize the Communist Party, serious divisions remained between reformists and Marxists.;There were also serious divisions between the two major reformist parties: the Radicals and Christian Democrats. While the Radicals eagerly sought alliances with the left to further the goals of white-collar workers, the Christian Democrats were morally, ideologically, and philosophically opposed to Marxism. The Radicals were not Marxists but they did not perceive Marxism to be a threat. There were also major differences with regards to women's rights between the two parties. The Radicals favored a greater role both economically and politically for women, while the Christian Democratic Party was opposed to equal rights and opportunities between men and women.;This research will underscore the importance of the middle-class during 1948-1958. Its leaders created a foundation for major social reform within a democratic framework. By 1958 sweeping electoral reforms had been enacted which enfranchised the peasantry and weakened the political power of the elites.