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Michelle Bachelet: Engendering Chile’s Democratization

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Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership ((PSPL))

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Abstract

Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s first woman president, concluded her first term in office (2006–2010) with an 84 percent approval rating but was constitutionally prevented from seeking immediate reelection. After serving as the first Executive Director of UN Women in New York and 40 years after the coup that overthrew Salvador Allende, Bachelet regained the presidency in 2013 facing another woman, Evelyn Matthei, who represented the political right. The chapter analyzes the significance of Bachelet’s political leadership and gender-related policies calling attention to Chile’s historical trajectory and post-transition record, widely considered a model of economic and democratic stability.

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  1. Pennsylvania State University, Greater Allegheny McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA

    Verónica Montecinos

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  1. Verónica Montecinos
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Correspondence to Verónica Montecinos .

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  1. Pennsylvania State University, Greater Allegheny, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA

    Verónica Montecinos

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Montecinos, V. (2017). Michelle Bachelet: Engendering Chile’s Democratization. In: Montecinos, V. (eds) Women Presidents and Prime Ministers in Post-Transition Democracies. Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48240-2_7

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