In this second edition, Lois Oppenheim has significantly updated the section on the return to civilian rule after 1990. Looking at both the presidencies of Aylwin and Frei, she focuses on their efforts to reconstruct democratic practices and institutions, including resolving sensitive issues such as human rights violations and civil-military relations.

In a new concluding chapter, Oppenheim explores the implications of the country's new economic standing as an economic success story - a "Latin American jaguar" - and its significance as a model for the region as a whole. She raises questions about the long-term viability of the neoliberal project and discusses the political and economic challenges that still confront Chile.