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Cover image of Latin America's Struggle for Democracy
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Latin America's Struggle for Democracy

edited by Larry Diamond, Marc F. Plattner, and Diego Abente Brun

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2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice

Almost thirty years have passed since Latin America joined democracy’s global "third wave," and not a single government has reverted to what was once the most common form of authoritarianism: military rule. Behind this laudable record, however, lurk problems that are numerous and deep, ranging from an ominous resurgence of antidemocratic and economically irresponsible populism to the fragility and unreliability of key democratic institutions.

A new addition to the Journal of Democracy series, this volume ponders both the successes and the difficulties...

2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice

Almost thirty years have passed since Latin America joined democracy’s global "third wave," and not a single government has reverted to what was once the most common form of authoritarianism: military rule. Behind this laudable record, however, lurk problems that are numerous and deep, ranging from an ominous resurgence of antidemocratic and economically irresponsible populism to the fragility and unreliability of key democratic institutions.

A new addition to the Journal of Democracy series, this volume ponders both the successes and the difficulties that color Latin American politics today. The book brings together recent articles from the journal and adds new and updated material. In these essays, a distinguished roster of contributors thoughtfully examines democratic problems and prospects from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego.

The first section assesses regionwide trends, including the forces behind the much-discussed political "turn to the left," the travails of the presidential form of government, the challenges of integrating newly mobilized indigenous populations into politics, the need for major reform in labor markets, and the implications of rising populism for democratic institutions and governance. The second section features important case studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The final section surveys Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Contributors: Jorge G. Castañeda, Matthew R. Cleary, Catherine M. Conaghan, Javier Corrales, Consuelo Cruz, Lucía Dammert, Daniel P. Erikson, Luis Estrada, Eric Farnsworth, Steven Levitsky, Scott Mainwaring, Cynthia McClintock, Marco A. Morales, María Victoria Murillo, Michael Penfold, Alejandro Poiré, Eduardo Posada-Carbó, Christopher Sabatini, Hector E. Schamis, Andreas Schedler, Mitchell A. Seligson, Lourdes Sola, Arturo Valenzuela, Donna Lee Van Cott

Reviews

Reviews

Conveniently summarizes important arguments by leading scholars.

This valuable collection is essential for all.

A good many insightful analyses of recent events in Latin America.

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Book Details

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Trends in the Region
Chapter 1. Latin American Presidencies Interrupted
Chapter 2. The Crisis of Representation in the Andes
Chapter 3. Latin America's Indigenous

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Trends in the Region
Chapter 1. Latin American Presidencies Interrupted
Chapter 2. The Crisis of Representation in the Andes
Chapter 3. Latin America's Indigenous Peoples
Chapter 4. Populism, Socialism, and Democratic Institutions
Chapter 5. Explaining the Left's Resurgence
Chapter 6. The Rise of Populism and the Left
Chapter 7. The Transformation of the Labor Arena
Part II: Case Studies: South America
Chapter 8. Argentina: From Kirchner to Kirchner
Chapter 9. Politics, Markets, and Society in Brazil
Chapter 10. Problems of Success in Chile
Chapter 11. An Unlikely Comeback in Peru
Chapter 12. Colombia Hews to the Path of Change
Chapter 13. Venezuela: Chávez and the Opposition
Chapter 14. Ecuador: Correa's Plebiscitary Presidency
Part III: Case Studies: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean
Chapter 15. Mexico's Contentious Election
Chapter 16. The Mobilization of Distrust in Mexico
Chapter 17. Looking to Mexico's Future
Chapter 18. From Turmoil to Stability in Central America
Chapter 19. The Caribbean: Democracy Adrift?
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond is coeditor of the Journal of Democracy, codirector of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Featured Contributor

Marc F. Plattner

Marc F. Plattner is vice president for research and studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. Plattner and Diamond are coeditors of the Journal of Democracy.
Featured Contributor

Diego Abente Brun

Diego Abente Brun is a senior associate researcher at Centro de Investigación y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya and a senior researcher at CONACYT-Paraguay. He is author or coeditor of several books, including Latin America’s Struggle for Democracy, also published by Johns Hopkins, which he coedited with Larry Diamond.