Democratic Socialism in Jamaica: The Political Movement and Social Transformation in Dependent Capitalism

Detailed, complete, using a multitude of sources, this historical study of the Manley period is a welcome addition to our knowledge of the political, social and economic forces involved. The successes of the regime, including its bauxite policies, are outlined, as are the reasons for its failure to find a viable route to development. The demise of the PNP government "was the result not only of structural restraints resulting from developmental capitalism, but also of country-specific structural and historical constraints and mistaken policy choices, and thus not primarily the result of the inherent difficulties of the democratic socialist path itself."