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Print Price: $130.99

Format:
Paperback
416 pp.
6.125" x 9.25"

ISBN-13:
9780190611347

Copyright Year:
2017

Imprint: OUP US


Democracy in Latin America

Third Edition

Peter Smith and Cameron Sells

Democracy in Latin America, Third Edition, examines processes of democratization in Latin America from 1900 to the present. Thoroughly revised and expanded, this new edition provides a widespread view of political transformation throughout the entire region.

Adroitly blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, Democracy in Latin America, Third Edition, offers an innovative view of the "dialectic" of democratic change in Latin America. This interpretation draws upon new material concerning the rise of the "new Left," the relationship between social status and satisfaction with democracy, the effectiveness of antipoverty policies, changing roles of the judiciary, and the impact of the international environment. The text is enhanced by the inclusion of numerous photographic illustrations and brief "boxes" with portraits of personalities, explanations about methodology, and comments on conceptual approaches.

Readership : Undergraduates in upper-division courses on comparative politics, Latin American politics, or Latin American history; graduate students specializing in comparative or Latin American politics.

Reviews

  • "I can hardly imagine a better way to combine a grand narrative of political development in the region with empirical evidence supporting each point that the authors make. Democracy in Latin America should be the standard textbook for undergraduates interested in democratization and Latin American politics."
    --Francisco Cantu, University of Houston

  • "Democracy in Latin America has more on institutions than any other textbook on Latin American politics I am aware of. Smith and Sells' focus on regime change in this region is unique, providing an effective hook for organizing the book."
    --Melody Ellis Valdini, Portland State University

  • "The best book on democracy in Latin America."
    --Philip Mauceri, State University of New York at New Paltz

Tables, Figures, and Maps
Preface
Introduction: Dimensions of Democracy
PART I: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES, 1900-2000
Cycles of Electoral Democracy
Transitions and Continuities
The Military: Heading for the Exits?
Global Contexts, International Forces
PART II: THE ELECTORAL ARENA
Presidents or Parliaments?
Institutional Designs
Elections: Voters, Winners, Losers
PART III: QUALITIES OF DEMOCRACY
State Capacity and Policy Performance
The Politics of Social Equity
Illiberal Democracy
The People's Verdict
PART IV: DEMOCRACY CONSIDERED
12 The Dialectic of Democracy
Epilogue: The Future of Democracy
APPENDIX 1 Classification of Electoral Regimes, 1900-2015
APPENDIX 2 Military Coups in Latin America, 1900-2015
Suggested Readings
Index

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Peter H. Smith is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Simón Bolívar Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of California, San Diego. Cameron J. Sells is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego.

Making Sense in the Social Sciences - Margot Northey, Lorne Tepperman and Patrizia Albanese

Talons of the Eagle - Peter H. Smith
Politics of Latin America - Harry E. Vanden and Gary Prevost

Special Features

  • Traces the origins and evolution of democracy in Latin America.
  • Examines the adoption and reform of electoral institutions.
  • Assesses the policy performance of contemporary democracies.
  • Explores the political representation of women, workers, and indigenous peoples.
  • Evaluates trends in public opinion.
  • Reveals the prevalence of "illiberal democracy".
New to this Edition
  • Thorough updating of empirical information-wherever possible, through the year 2015.
  • Emphasis on differences between presidential instability and systemic instability.
  • Exploration of subnational dimensions of democratization.
  • Reflections on constitutional reforms, especially under leftist regimes.
  • Explanation of strategies used by political parties to generate linkages with voters.
  • Completely new analysis of public opinion on the basis of raw survey data (from 2013).
  • Evaluation of widespread claims that the "new Left" is in near-fatal decline.
  • Updating the display of regime type for all countries through the year 2015.