Even if all the reforms outlined in Chapter 8 were enacted, the growth imperative would still drive the economic system. This chapter explores ways to move toward an evolutionary path leading to an entirely new system not based on growth and exploitation. It does not offer a blueprint for a utopian future but rather examines the human potential for radical social change given our physical and psychological characteristics, particularly brain plasticity and “evolvability.” Examples of sustainable human societies with very different economic systems from market capitalism are discussed, including Tikopia, Ladakh, and the Inca Empire. These cases illustrate the human capacity for innovation and radical change. As we face an uncertain future, nonmarket economies can at least show us that sustainable and equitable societies are possible. It is not human nature that is preventing us from constructing a better world.

The chapter presents the setting in which the FA was born and in which it developed over the years. The combination of the exhaustion of the ISI model, increasing political polarization and the height of the Cold War dramatically determined the political dynamics of the late 1960s and 1970s and engendered a context of increasing authoritarianism and political violence. The fight against increasingly repressive governments was a significant incentive for the new party. Public opposition to the neoliberal agenda of the different governments that succeeded the authoritarian regime (1971–1985) also contributed to the FA’s increasingly successful electoral. In 2005, the FA gained office and won three consecutive national elections with an absolute majority in parliament. It was one of the most successful parties of the so-called “left turn.” During its time in government, the party enacted structural reforms in various policy areas. In terms of socioeconomic reforms, the FA approved a tax reform, a health-care reform, and was one of the two parties of the “left turn” that enacted deep labor market reforms. The FA also pursued a distinctive progressive agenda in the region that led to the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, and the liberalization of cannabis use.