Democracy in Latin America Political Change in Comparative Perspective

by Smith, Peter H.

• ISBN13: 9780195387735
• ISBN10: 0195387732
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Democracy in Latin America, 2e 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. In clear and jargon-free prose, the book: · 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" Adroitly blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, Democracy in Latin America 2e 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. Readability is enhanced by the inclusion of numerous photographic illustrations and brief "boxes" with portraits of personalities, explanations about methodology, and comments on conceptual approaches.

Author Biography

Peter H. Smith is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Simn Bolvar Professor of Latin American Studies at the University of California, San Diego. A former president of the Latin American Studies Association, he is the author of more than twenty books, including Talons of the Eagle: Latin America, the United States, and the world, Third Edition (OUP, 2007) and coauthor of Modern Latin America, Seventh Edition (OUP, 2009).

Table of Contents

Tables, Figures, and Maps	p. xiii
Preface	p. xvii
Introduction: Dimensions of Democracy	p. 1
A Tale of Two Presidents	p. 1
Definitions of Democracy	p. 6
Elections	p. 8
Rights	p. 10
Overview: Focus and Themes	p. 12
Interpretive Arguments	p. 13
Analytical Perspectives	p. 14
Historical Perspectives, 1900-2000
Cycles of Electoral Democracy	p. 19
Legacies of Independence	p. 20
Cycles and Trends	p. 23
Global and Comparative Perspectives	p. 31
Democratic Dominoes?	p. 34
Subregional Variations and the Colossus of the North	p. 35
Lessons over Time: Prior Experience	p. 38
Democracy and Instability	p. 40
Transitions and Continuities	p. 43
Starting Points	p. 44
Economic Requisites?	p. 47
Social Forces	p. 52
Cycle 1:1900-1939	p. 54
Cycle 2:1940-1977	p. 57
Cycle 3:1978-2000	p. 59
End Games and Elite Bargains	p. 63
The Bargaining Process	p. 63
Getting to Cases	p. 66
Patterns of Change in Perspective	p. 69
The Military: Heading for the Exits?	p. 72
Forging Fatherlands	p. 73
Patterns of Participation	p. 76
Missions and Regimes	p. 79
Wars Against Subversion	p. 83
Democrats' Dilemma: To Amnesty or Not?	p. 89
Precedents from Argentina	p. 91
Chilean Twists	p. 95
Modes of Interaction: The Armed Forces and Democracy	p. 100
Has the Military Left?	p. 104
Global Contexts, International Forces	p. 106
Imperialism and Democracy	p. 107
The Anticommunist Crusades	p. 110
Stemming the Tides of Revolution	p. 113
Displacing Inconvenient Democracies	p. 115
Economic Issues: Debt and Structural Reform	p. 118
The Political Economy of Globalization	p. 121
Drugs, Dictators, and U.S. Policy	p. 121
International Organizations	p. 125
The Electoral Arena
Presidents or Parliaments?	p. 135
The Terms of Debate	p. 135
Envisioning Alternatives	p. 137
Proparliamentary Arguments	p. 140
Counterarguments	p. 142
Semipresidentialism/Semiparliamentarism?	p. 145
Attempts at Reform	p. 145
Brazil: Voice of the Voters	p. 146
Argentina: Calculating Political Odds	p. 148
Chile: A Pact for Presidentialism	p. 150
Why Not?	p. 152
Institutional Variations	p. 154
Executive Power	p. 155
Means of Election	p. 157
To Reelect or Not?	p. 159
Sources of Power	p. 161
The Legislative Branch	p. 163
Electoral Systems and Rules of Representation	p. 165
Reelection and Term Limits	p. 169
Institutional Performance	p. 171
Toppling Presidents?	p. 173
Parties and Party Systems	p. 175
Taking the Measure of Parties	p. 175
Gauging Public Distrust	p. 178
Elections: Voters, Winners, and Losers	p. 180
Expanding the Electorate	p. 181
Participation	p. 184
Competitiveness	p. 189
The Range of Choice	p. 192
Impacts of Bureaucratic-Authoritarianism	p. 193
Legacies of Military Populism	p. 194
A Resurgence of the Left	p. 197
Digression: Schisms on the Left	p. 200
Dilemmas of Democracy: Representation vs. Governance	p. 202
Qualities of Democracy
State Capacity and Policy Performance	p. 211
The Latin American State: Roles and Capacities	p. 212
Democracy vs. Dictatorship: General Hypotheses	p. 216
The Politics of Economic Growth	p. 218
Social Impacts: Health and Education	p. 223
The Problem of Poverty	p. 226
Inequality and Income Distribution	p. 231
The Politics of Social Equity	p. 235
Losing Ground: The Working Class	p. 237
Signs of Hard Times	p. 238
Zero-Sum Politics	p. 242
Women: Moving Up	p. 243
Patterns of Participation	p. 245
Political Representation	p. 247
Positions and Policies	p. 251
Gathering Strength: Indigenous Peoples	p. 253
Bolivia: Party Politics	p. 254
Ecuador: Strength in Social Movements	p. 256
Guatemala: Civil War and Genocide	p. 257
Freedoms, Rights, and Illiberal Democracy	p. 263
Gradations of Democracy	p. 264
Freedom of the Press	p. 266
Anidefamation Laws and Policies	p. 269
Analytical Overview	p. 271
The Uneven Rule of Law	p. 273
The Roles of Courts	p. 278
The Changing Content of Electoral Democracy	p. 281
Pathways to Full Democracy	p. 284
The People's Verdict	p. 289
The Concept of Political Culture	p. 290
Democracy in Principle	p. 296
The Relevance of Social Class	p. 298
Democracy in Practice	p. 299
Case Study: Insights from Argentina	p. 302
Political Ideology	p. 302
Trust in Institutions	p. 304
Roots of Disenchantment	p. 305
Activism and Protest	p. 308
Democracy Considered
The Dialectic of Democracy	p. 313
Findings in Review	p. 314
Changing Shapes of Democracy	p. 318
Democracy in the Era of Mass Politics	p. 320
1940-1977: Dangers of Democracy	p. 321
1978-Present: Democracy Made Safe	p. 323
1998-Present: Democracy Turns Left	p. 326
Epilogue: The Future of Democracy	p. 329
The International Environment	p. 329
Economic Dimensions	p. 332
The Crash of 2007-2009	p. 332
Transnational Crime	p. 333
Political Developments	p. 335
Democratic Tendencies	p. 335
The Question of Consolidation	p. 338
Deepening Democracy?	p. 339
Survival, Institutionalization, and Legitimation	p. 341
Alternative Scenarios	p. 343
Standing Fast	p. 343
Backsliding	p. 343
Moving Ahead	p. 344
Classification of Electoral Regimes, 1900-2000	p. 345
Military Coups in Latin America, 1900-2000	p. 352
Suggested Readings	p. 355
Index	p. 361
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