Abstract This paper examines who Menem is, who he was, how he achieved his power. It then show what it all means for Argentina in its quest for economic growth and political stability in the 21st century. The paper further discusses how his scandals and autocratic demeanor brought about the end to his presidency.
From the Paper "Menem received a law degree from the University of Cordoba in 1958, and practiced law until, at age 33, he entered politics, and did so successfully. Menem became governor of La Rioja, where he served two terms, the first from 1973 to 1976, the second from 1983 to 1989. Why the interruption? Because in 1976, he was arrested and imprisoned during Argentina's military coup. When he was finally released after serving some five years in jail,, he returned to politics, and won election of his province again two years later. He was eager to run for the Presidency, and campaigned much as the original Perons did, as someone whose goal was to improve the lives of the poor. While this assured him not merely being elected, but winning by a landslide, it soon became obvious that his original campaign promises to look out for Argentina's poor was just empty rhetoric. In fact, soon after he was installed, he introduced some sweeping reforms, which included privatization of many of the government-subsidized organizations on which the poor depended. By privatizing, he literally handed over the reins of much of former government activities to those who were in it for a decent profit. At the same time, because of rising inflation and inability to improve exports, he downsized the spending of government to an almost alarming degree."
