In Argentina, for example, President Juan Perón’s administration (1946–55) invested heavily in infrastructure, nationalised oil resources and built the country’s capacity for heavy industry. It also made substantial investments in public education, healthcare, social security and housing – a programme spearheaded by the president’s wife, the reformer Eva Perón. To this day, the Peróns are celebrated for their largely successful efforts to eradicate poverty, support workers and build Argentina’s middle class.
