Argentina is still reeling from the worst economic and political crisis to afflict the nation in its modern history. Since December 2001, the country has been through economic depression and bankruptcy, the impoverishment of half the population, a presidency that changed four times in the span of two weeks, and social protests met by state repression that left dozens dead and hundreds injured. What brought on this state of affairs? What are the primary features of this crisis? Who are the key actors? And what are the potential ways out of the crisis? This volume brings together an assortment of experts to grapple with these questions. Broken Promises? traces the political and economic origins of the crisis, considers the reactions of Argentina's security forces during difficult times, reflects on the responses of Argentine society, and concludes with an analysis of Argentina's key relationships with Brazil and the U.S. This edited volume fills a gap in literature concerning the study of contemporary Argentine politics and will be of great interest to students of development, comparative politics, international politics, and Latin American studies.

Edward Epstein is professor of political science at the University of Utah. David Pion-Berlin is professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 The Crisis of 2001 and Argentine Democracy
Chapter 3 Causes of the Crisis
Chapter 4 The Democratic Process in Argentina
Chapter 5 Police, Politics, and Society in the Province of Buenos Aires
Chapter 6 The Costs of the Convertability Plan: The Economic and Social Consequences of Financial Hegemony
Chapter 7 Citizen Responses
Chapter 8 The Piquetero Movement in Greater Buenos Aires: Political Protests by the Unemployed Poor During the Crisis
Chapter 9 Political Mobilization in Neighborhood Assemblies: The Cases of Villa Crespo and Palermo
Chapter 10 Middle Class Use of Barter Clubs: A Real Alternative or Just Survival?
Chapter 11 The Forces of Order During the Crisis
Chapter 12 Crisis, Democracy, and the Military in Argentina
Chapter 13 The Gendermarie's Response to Social Protest in Argentina
Chapter 14 State and Foreign Responses
Chapter 15 In the Name of the People: The Possibilities and Limits of a Government Relying on Public Opinion
Chapter 16 The Argentine Political Crisis and Necessary Institutional Reform
Chapter 17 Will Foreign Allies Help? Argentina's Relationship with Brazil and the United States