The Political Economy of Revolutionary Nicaragua

This book, first published in 1987, is a solid, analytical exploration of the complex dynamics of the revolutionary economic transformation from 1979 to 1986. This collection of eleven essays provides a clear picture of the goals, internal debates, external influences and shifting policy decisions which affected the efforts of the Sandinista government. They help to clarify the dynamics between soaring food prices and falling wages, and explain the complex relationship between the private sector and the state. They also document the policies of the Reagan administration toward the Sandinista government.

Introduction Rose J. Spalding Part 1. Overview of the Economic Model 1. A Structural Overview of the Nicaraguan Economy Bill Gibson 2. The Mixed Economy in Nicaragua: the Economic Battlefield John Weeks 3. The State and Planning in Nicaragua David F. Ruccio Part 2. Development Priorities and Dilemmas 4. Industrial Development Strategies in Revolutionary Nicaragua Claes Brundenius 5. Banking Systems and Revolutionary Change: the Politics of Agricultural Credit in Nicaragua Laura J. Enriquez and Rose J. Spalding 6. Domestic Supply and Food Shortages Peter Utting Part 3. External Pressures and Foreign Relations 7. Foreign Debt and Economic Stabilisation Policies in Revolutionary Nicaragua Richard Stahlet-Sholk 8. Patterns of Changing External Trade in Revolutionary Nicaragua: Voluntary and Involuntary Trade Diversification Michael E. Conroy 9. An Evaluation of the Economic Costs to Nicaragua of US Aggression: 1980–1984 E.V.K. Fitzgerald Part 4. The Economic Outlook for the Revolution 10. The New Economic Policy: A Necessary Readjustment Roberto Pizarro 11. Troubles Everywhere: An Economic Perspective on the Sandinista Revolution Carlos M. Vilas

Rose J. Spalding