Chile — Pinochet government (1973–1990)
Chile
Basis for the estimate: Military dictatorship, Chicago Boys free-market reforms, repression.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Military junta, then rule under the 1980 constitution with Augusto Pinochet as president |
|---|---|
| In practice, 1973 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1974–1988 | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
| In practice, 1989 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1990 | Electoral democracy free and fair multiparty elections and basic freedoms |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Chile, 1973–1990, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 93 | strongly toward market | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 82 | toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 91 | strongly toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 86 | strongly toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 30 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 95 | strongly toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 83 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 86 | strongly toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 89 | strongly toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 100 | strongly toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 88 | strongly toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 10 | strongly toward free market |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 30 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 68 | toward religious authority |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| A single ruling party can govern more effectively than a competitive multiparty system. | Agrees | estimated |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National security can justify restrictions on what journalists publish. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Reducing the gap between rich and poor should be a major government goal. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Christian Reconstructionism85% similar positionMonarchism84% similar positionAuthoritarian Conservatism81% similar positionAbsolute Monarchism79% similar positionRight-Wing Nationalism79% similar position
Most similar governments
Brazil — Bolsonaro presidency (2019–2022)78% similarSpain — Franco government (1939–1975)77% similarHungary — Orbán government (2010–present)76% similarIndia — Modi administration (2014–present)75% similarTurkey — Erdoğan government (2014–present)74% similar
Sources
- Wikipedia: Military dictatorship of Chile (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.