Economic Transformations in Chile: The Formation of the Chicago Boys

Abstract

Who were the Chicago Boys and what was their path into Pinochet's dictatorship? Speculation abounds about the motives of these Chilean born, U.S. educated economists who came to play a pivotal role in Pinochet's regime. This paper will examine the education of the Chicago Boys at the University of Chicago and their subsequent rise into Pinochet's government. The Chicago Boys' historical path suggests that their influence in Chilean politics cannot be reduced to U.S. political motivations or ideology, but rather must take into consideration the transformation of foreign aid policies and the economic environment of the time.