Colonial legacy and the post-independence period -- Political regimes and democratic stability -- Guerrillas and revolutions -- US-Latin American relations -- Latin American presidentialism -- Legislatures in Latin America -- Elections and electoral rules -- The judiciary -- Political culture -- Corruption -- Civil liberties and press freedom -- Income inequality, poverty, and the gender gap.
"For over forty years, Latin American Politics and Development has kept instructors and students abreast of current affairs and changes in Latin America. Now in its tenth edition, this authoritative yet accessible introduction has been updated throughout. Organized on a country-by-country basis, Latin American Politics and Development offers instructors maximum flexibility in organizing courses. Revisions to the Tenth Edition include: An updated theoretical framework to explain changes in the region, including discussions of electoral systems and political actors. Discussions on presidential, parliamentary, and municipal election cycles throughout the region from 2017 through early 2022. Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examination on the regional decline in democratic norms and practices. A look at the impact of the Trump administration on regional relations, including the decline in democracy. Updates on race, indigenous groups, women, Afro-Latin Americans, contemporary social movements, religious and other non-elite groups"--
This book improves understandings of how and why clientelism endures in Latin America and why state policy is often ineffective. Political scientists and sociologists, the contributors employ ethnography, targeted interviews, case studies, within-case and regional comparison, thick descriptions, and process tracing.
During the last two centuries, the military in Latin America has been involved in politics in a characteristic duality of professionalism and political 'calling', by political armies of the right and the left. In both cases, a kind of 'military mystique' prevails, but its content is different. In both cases, the military justifies its involvement as a consequence of its necessary correcting and transforming vanguard role in politics and society. The two characteristics of dual functions (internal and internal security) and dual pathways (professionalism and political missions) are a revolving theme in this article.
"In Latin America and beyond, societies are deeply unequal, the poor are marginalized, and states face continuous fiscal shortages and real or potential political instability. In this context, democracy functions imperfectly. It intermeshes with clientelism, with the incongruous result that clientelism not only erodes, but also accompanies and supplements democratic processes. Armed with evidence of these complex interactions, this book improves understandings of how and why clientelism endures and why state policy is often ineffective. Political scientists and sociologists, the contributors employ ethnography, targeted interviews, case studies, within-case and regional comparison, thick descriptions, and process tracing. They write from political economy and institutionalist as well as principal-centered and agent-centered perspectives"--