The emergence of Latin America and the Caribbean as an arena for US-China competition raises a number of important questions: What are China’s goals in LAC? Is its presence there a good thing for the region? What challenges does it create? How is the US responding? Enrique Dussel Peters responds to these questions from a fresh perspective, exploring the dynamics of new triangular    More >

How did Mexico and Central America become a lawless corridor for conveying narcotics into the United States? How did the drug cartels rise to power, succeeding in institutionalizing the narco-industry? Why have the police and military failed to rein the cartels in? What have been the consequences of the US-led "war on drugs?" William Marcy's Narcostates provides answers to these    More >

Police forces in Latin America historically have been regarded as hopelessly corrupt, inefficient, and even abusive. More recently, however, there have been clear signs that police reforms have gained traction in the region—with some notable exceptions. The authors of this book explore the scope of the reforms that have been enacted in a diverse group of countries, their impact on    More >

Although military coups are rare in the Andean countries, democracies remain prone to deep political crises caused by elected leaders (especially strongmen, or caudillos) who abuse their power—often with broad public approval. What explains this phenomenon? The authors of Challenges to Democracy in the Andes propose answers to this question. Offering an analytical framework that    More >

Though police are supposed to serve and protect, they all too often rob and abuse. Why? And what can be done about it? That is the central puzzle addressed in this book. Drawing on the disparate cases of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, Diego Esparza analyzes why some countries' police forces are more corrupt than others and considers what policy initiatives can turn an abusive police force    More >

Brazil's democracy has repeatedly suffered major corruption scandals, despite numerous reforms designed to overcome entrenched patterns of illicit behavior. Why? What has caused corruption scandals to recur across some four decades of presidential administrations? And what are the implications of Brazil's experience for efforts to enhance accountability elsewhere? Addressing these    More >

This new edition of Understanding Contemporary Latin America, the first under the editorship of Henry (Chip) Carey, reflects the many changes that have occurred in the region in the decade since the previous edition was published. An entirely new chapter on crime and security, along with new treatments of such classic subjects as geography, history, politics, economics, international relations,    More >

What will it take to overcome the many challenges that Latin America faces in developing quality, inclusive education for its diverse population? That is the question at the heart of Alejandro Toledo's new book. Toledo begins from the premise that the uneven caliber of schools and universities in the region is only part of the problem. Drawing on his own childhood experiences living in deep    More >

While there is arguably universal agreement that corruption plagues countries worldwide, do we agree as well on what corruption is and how to fight it? Do the left and right on the political spectrum hold conflicting views on the issue? Is there a difference in how successful left vs. right governments are in curbing corruption? These are the questions that inspired The Corruption    More >

With Latin America home to some of the most draconian bans on abortion in the world, abortion rights is one of the most controversial and hotly contested topics in Latin American politics today. Jane Marcus-Delgado explores the ways in which key actors—from politicians to grassroots activists to the global community—participate and shape strategies in the ongoing    More >

In recent years, China's explosive outflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) globally can be measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, with close to 10 billion of that going each year to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The characteristics and significance of that investment in LAC are the focus of this new book. The authors first discuss FDI in the region from the Chinese    More >

After more than a year of negotiations, the differences between NAFTA and the new United States–Mexico–Canada agreement (USMCA) are minor—especially considering the initial stance of the Trump administration in 2017—with one notable exception. The new agreement explicitly prohibits its members from negotiating free-trade agreements with "non-market economies" such    More >

Vicente Fox's 2000 election to the presidency in Mexico marked the end of more than 70 years of rule by the PRI, overturning what some observers referred to as "the perfect dictatorship." Since then, there has been much debate about the reasons for the PAN's successful challenge to decades of authoritarian rule. Patricia Olney makes a rich, nuanced contribution to that debate,    More >

Amidst the many lamentations about the problems of democracy, Joe Foweraker turns his attention to specific questions: Is democracy incompatible with stark social inequalities? Why are so many democratic governments deemed unaccountable and beset by populist pressures? Perhaps most fundamentally, why does democratic theory have no answers to these questions? Foweraker argues that finding    More >

During Hugo Chávez's presidency, Venezuelan society underwent a sudden—and vicious—split between the Chavistas and the Opposition. What accounts for the extreme intensity of the split? How did differences so quickly become irreconcilable? What role did the media play? Answering these and related questions, Ana Mallen and María Pilar García-Guadilla explore how    More >

After Bolivia had received more than $4.7 billion from the US government to support 70 years of development efforts, why would Evo Morales abruptly expel USAID from the country in May 2013? The answer, alleges Lawrence Heilman, is rooted in a complex slice of history beginning with US assistance to Bolivia during World War II. Heilman explores that history from the perspectives of both the US    More >

Spanning the period from the country’s independence in 1822 through mid-2016, Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira assesses the trajectory of Brazil's political, social, and economic development. Bresser-Pereira draws on his decades of first-hand experience to shed light on the many paradoxes that have characterized Brazil's polity, its society, and the relations between the two across nearly    More >

Why is there so much discontent with democracy across Latin America? Are regimes being judged by unrealistic standards of success—or is there legitimate cause for criticism in light of  widespread failures to deliver either transparency or effective public policies? Addressing these questions across a variety of dimensions, the authors explore the diverse ways in which the specific    More >

What explains the presence—and the surprising performance—of former authoritarian-regime officials in Latin American presidential elections? To answer that question, Brett J. Kyle examines the experiences of twelve countries that transitioned from military to civilian government in the Third Wave of democratization. His persuasive analysis, incorporating case studies of Chile,    More >

Since the 1970s, Nicaragua has experienced four major regime changes—shifts in its fundamental logic, structure, and operational code of governance. What accounts for such instability? Have other states that transitioned to democracy followed a similar path? Considering these questions, David Close explores the dynamics of Nicaragua's movements toward and away from democracy since    More >

In recent years, the countries of Latin America have moved out from under the shadow of the United States to become active players in the international system. What changed? Why? And why did it take so long for that change to happen? To answer those questions, Joseph S. Tulchin explores the evolving role of Latin American states in world affairs from the early days of independence to the    More >

During the presidency of Raúl Castro, Cuba has dramatically reformed its policies toward small private enterprises. Archibald Ritter and Ted Henken consider why—and to what effect. After reviewing the evolution of policy since 1959, the authors contrast the approaches of Fidel and Raúl Castro and explore in depth the responses of Cuban entrepreneurs to the new environment.    More >

What does Cuba's socialist economy look like today, after a half-century of fluctuating strategies? Are the reforms instituted by Raúl Castro improving living conditions and boosting production and efficiency? What challenges does the government face in crafting policies to address the country's most critical problems? Paolo Spadoni offers deeply informed answers to these questions    More >

What types of threats and conflicts affect the countries of South America? What roles can and should states and regional organizations play in maintaining both traditional and human security in the region? Ranging from armed conflicts, terrorism, and the arms trade to political crises, drug trafficking, and environmental concerns, Rodrigo Tavares provides a comprehensive discussion of the issues    More >

How have colonial and partisan politics in Puerto Rico affected the language used in public schools? What can we learn from the conflict over the place of English in Puerto Rican society? How has the role of English evolved over time? Addressing these questions, Jorge Schmidt incisively explores the complex relationships among politics, language, and education in Puerto Rico from 1898, when Spain    More >

Winner of the Canadian Political Science Association's Prize in Comparative Politics, 2016! Despite the pervasiveness of electoral democracy in Latin America, the police continue to repress political protests. Why? Does the majority of the public support the repression of protests? If not, whom do they hold accountable, and how? Michelle Bonner offers a new perspective on police reform    More >

The inability of the Haitian state to deal with the devastation of the January 2010 earthquake brought into sharp focus Haiti’s desperate social and economic conditions—and raised perplexing questions. What accounts for the country's continuing predicament? Why have repeated attempts at democratic governance failed so abysmally? And what role has the international community    More >

How was Chile transformed both politically and economically during the two decades of center-left coalition (Concertación) government that followed the country's return to democracy in 1990? How did the coalition manage to hold on to power for so long—but not longer? And were its policies in fact substantially different from those that preceded them? Addressing these questions,    More >

Why has Mexico's political left been in such turmoil since the dramatic 2006 election? What explains the contentious relationship between the country's largest left-wing party, the PRD, and its former presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador? Is the PRD in fact a political party, or instead a much looser political movement? Dag Mossige provides an insightful    More >

How do individual and collective memories of the repressive Pinochet regime affect the fabric of Chilean politics and society today? How have the politics of memory in Chile—including the official policies and symbolic representations that address the painful violations of the past—evolved over the years since Pinochet's demise? The authors of this important new book provide an    More >

With tourism lauded throughout Latin America as a sure engine of economic growth, actual performance in the sector has varied to an extreme degree. Kirk Bowman asks why. Why did states become so actively involved in the tourism sector even as they were reducing their role in other sectors of the economy? Why have destinations with similar endowments differed so greatly in their success in    More >

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the partnership between Mexico and the United States? What might be done to improve it? Exploring both policy and process, and ranging from issues of trade and development to concerns about migration, the environment, and crime, the authors of Mexico and the United States provide a comprehensive analysis of one of the world’s most complex bilateral    More >

Long assumed to be an unchanging and unquestioned bulwark of established power and privilege, religion in Latin America has diversified and flourished, while taking on new social and political roles in more open societies. How did this change occur? Why did churches in the region embrace new ideas about rights, sponsor social movements, and become advocates for democracy? Are further changes on    More >

Tectonic Shifts offers compelling on-the-ground perspectives on the aftermath of Haiti's cataclysmic earthquake. Following a critical analysis of the country's heightened vulnerability as a result of centuries of underdevelopment and misguided foreign aid interventions, the authors address a range of contemporary realities, foreign impositions, and political changes in the relief and    More >

How has the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) affected Nicaragua and its politics since the Sandinista revolution of 1979? Addressing this question, the authors offer a comprehensive assessment, discussing the country's political institutions and public policy, its political culture, and its leadership, as well as the FSLN as a political party. Their focus is on contemporary issues,    More >

Is there a relationship between the consolidation of democracy and the ending of rivalries with neighboring states? Can internationalist foreign policies be useful in "reprogramming" militaries to accept civilian authority? Addressing these questions, Kristina Mani examines the dynamic connection between democracy building and security cooperation in Argentina and Chile in the 1990s. Her    More >

What inroads is China making in Latin America? In China Engages Latin America, experts from three continents provide local answers to this global question. The authors explore the multiple motivations driving the establishment of new Sino–Latin American linkages, the nature of those linkages, and the reactions that they have generated. They also examine how China–Latin America    More >

In considering the nature and future prospects of the current wave of democracies in Latin America, analysis has shifted from a concern with regime change, transitions, and consolidation to a focus on the quality of these democracies. To what extent, for example, do citizens participate and influence decisionmaking? Are elections free and fair? Are there ways of ensuring government    More >

In 2005, two decades after President Victor Paz Estenssoro's New Economic Policy heralded the beginning of a profound transformation for Bolivia, violence had become endemic in the country, the economy was weak, and political corruption was flourishing. Evo Morales was elected to the presidency in a climate of intense social conflict and disorder, promising to deconstruct the entire political    More >

This accessible look at Latin American politics explores how—and to what effect—diverse forces on the left have not only captured the imagination of vast swathes of the continent’s population, but also taken hold of the reins of government. The authors assess the multiple currents of Latin America's left turns, considering their origins, their relationships to political    More >

Does corruption grease the wheels of Latin American politics, facilitating its operation? Or does it undermine democratic rule and worsen the perennial problems of poverty and inequality. Do citizens condemn, condone, or simply acquiesce to the corrupt behavior of their politicians? Corruption and Politics in Latin America addresses these thorny questions, offering a fresh and timely approach to    More >

Can charismatic authority be used to further progressive politics without simultaneously doing damage? Is it possible for a movement with a charismatic leader to achieve an egalitarian society? Tracing the history of Mexico's Zapatista movement and the emergence of its controversial masked spokesman, Subcommandante Marcos, Daniela di Piramo investigates the implications of these    More >

Why would a state commit to foreign policy actions that do not appear to have relevance to its national interests? And what can we learn from Argentina’s extensive involvement in democracy promotion in the Americas? Addressing these related questions, Ana Margheritis explores the interaction of presidential power, regional issues, and domestic instability in the shaping of Argentina's    More >

John Cameron draws on power-based approaches to the study of democratization as he thoughtfully explores efforts by indigenous and peasant groups to gain control of local governments and deepen democracy in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. Cameron addresses three fundamental questions: What factors best explain the success or failure of local political movements in the Andes? What forms of    More >

As the popular myth of racial equality in Brazil crumbles beneath the weight of current grassroots politics, how will the country redefine itself as a multiethnic nation? Brazil’s New Racial Politics captures the myriad questions and problems unleashed by a growing awareness of the ways racism structures Brazilian society. The authors bridge the gap between scholarship and activism as    More >

How do today's Latin American elites understand and relate to ideas of power, race, ethnicity, and mestizaje? And what impact does that understanding have on the dynamics of socioeconomic development in ethnically mixed societies? Focusing on the case of Ecuador—a country struggling to recast its mestizo identity in the aftermath of dramatic indigenous uprisings—Karem Roitman    More >

Carefully designed to enhance readers’ comprehension of the diversity and complexities of the region, Understanding the Contemporary Caribbean ranges in coverage from history to politics and economics, from the environment to ethnicity, from religion to the Caribbean diaspora. Each topic is covered in an accessible style, but with reference to the latest scholarship. This new edition has    More >

Has the fundamental shift in Mexico's political system away from single-party authoritarian rule had any impact on the pattern of corruption that has plagued the country for years? Is there less or more corruption today? Have different types of corruption emerged? If so, why? Stephen Morris addresses these questions, comprehensively exploring how the changes of  the past    More >

With China on the minds of many in Latin America—from politicians and union leaders to people on the street, from business students to senior bankers—a number of important questions arise. Why, for example, is China so rapidly expanding its ties with the region? What is the nature of the new connection, and how will it affect institutions, economic structures, politics, and society? R.    More >

The third edition of this historically and theoretically grounded analysis of the democratic experience in Latin America reflects important developments both in the region and in the comparative politics literature. Placing the subject in a normative context, John Peeler gives significant attention to the adequacy of a purely electoral concept of democracy. He also addresses the problems that    More >

Do societal inequalities limit the effectiveness of democratic regimes? And if so, why? And how? Addressing this question, Bernd Reiter focuses on the role of societal dynamics in undermining democracy in Brazil. Reiter explores the ways in which race, class, and gender in Brazil structure a society that is deeply divided between the included and the excluded—and where much of the    More >

In this fresh look at Venezuelan politics, Steve Ellner emphasizes the central significance of the country's economic and social cleavages. Ellner's journey through modern Venezuelan history—observing popular masses and social actors as much as political elites and formal institutions—fundamentally informs his analysis of Hugo Chávez's presidency and the    More >

In this follow-up to his widely read The Struggle for Human Rights in Latin America, Edward Cleary examines some of the robust human rights movements of the past two decades.    More >

The premise of this book is, simply, that politicians matter—that an understanding of the role played by politicians in the way that politics is carried out in their countries is, far from constituting a resurrection of outdated elitist theories, of vital importance in present-day Latin America. The authors consider politicians as both cause and effect. Drawing on pioneering field research    More >

This seminal book was inspired by a series of questions: What explains the endurance of Augusto Pinochet's authoritarian regime in Chile, a country with a lengthy democratic tradition? What mechanisms secured the regime's political stability and broad-based support? What role did neoliberal ideas play in authoritarian discourse and policy? How could two such opposite forces as political    More >

Though founded in the wake of a revolution that embodied its slave population's quest for freedom and equality, Haiti has endured a history marked by an unending pattern of repressive dictatorial regimes. Exploring that history, Robert Fatton offers a rigorous explanation of how and why the legacy of colonialism, the struggle against slavery, and the intersection of the domestic and world    More >

Winner of the British Society of Criminology's Best Book Award! How Latin American governments will respond to popular outcry against unprecedented levels of both corruption and crime ranks among the principal political questions of this decade. The State on the Streets focuses on the tense interplay of police, democracy, state, and civil society in the region, using the cases of Argentina    More >

Is democracy in Latin America in trouble, as many now argue? Or is the increasingly overt political participation of both "average" and marginalized citizens evidence to the contrary? This important collection focuses on citizenship to shed light on the dynamics and obstacles that the region's democracies now face.   The authors place citizenship in the context of democratic    More >

Although the US has spent more than $25 billion on international drug-control programs over the last two decades, it has failed to reduce the supply of cocaine and heroin entering the country. It has, however, succeeded in generating widespread, often profoundly damaging, consequences, most notably in Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors of Drugs and Democracy in Latin America offer a    More >

How can a region roiled by political strife, civil war, illicit drug trafficking, and dismal economic performance achieve political stability and support economic growth? The Andes in Focus addresses this question with an in-depth look at the complex factors underlying the ongoing volatile situation. The authors offer detailed analyses of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, as well    More >

Why have women remained marginalized in Chilean politics, even within a context of democratization? Addressing this question, Susan Franceschet traces women's political activism in the country—from the early twentieth century struggles for suffrage to current efforts to expand and deepen the practice of democracy. Franceschet highlights the gendered nature of political participation in    More >

Mexico made a peaceful transition to democracy when it elected opposition candidate Vicente Fox president in July 2000—an event that has had a profound impact on the country's political system, its economic and social policy, and its international relationships. Mexico Under Fox examines the elements of continuity and change found in Mexico today.   The authors consider the    More >

Mexico's presidential elections in July 2000 brought victory to National Action Party (PAN) candidate Vicente Fox—and also the hope of democratic change after decades of single-party rule. Tracing the key themes and dynamics of a century of political development in Mexico, David Shirk explores the evolution of the party that ultimately became the vehicle for Fox's success. Shirk    More >

Painting a sober yet hopeful picture of current Mexican politics and economics, Mexico's Democracy at Work focuses on the country's still incomplete transformation from an authoritarian system, as well as the many challenges that exist within the new, more democratic context. The authors pay particular attention to both domestic and international economic dynamics and to Mexico's    More >

The myriad changes affecting contemporary Latin America in the context of a globalizing world are so far reaching, argue the authors of Latin America in the Twenty-First Century, that understanding them requires both new conceptual tools and multidisciplinary analysis. In response to this need, they explore developments in the region in terms of four central processes: the construction of    More >

The radical alteration of the political landscape in Venezuela following the electoral triumph of the controversial Hugo Chávez calls for a fresh look at the country's institutions and policies. In response, and challenging much of the scholarly literature on Venezuelan democracy, this book offers a revisionist view of Venezuela's recent political history and a fresh appraisal of    More >

As Latin America's new democratic regimes have decentralized, the region's capital cities—and their elected mayors—have gained increasing importance. Capital City Politics in Latin America tells the story of these cities: how they are changing operationally, how the the empowerment of mayors and other municipal institutions is exacerbating political tensions between local    More >

The collapse of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986 gave rise to optimism among Haitians in all walks of life—to hopes for a democratic journey leading to economic development, political renewal, and social peace. The reality of the subsequent years, however, has not been so sanguine. Robert Fatton analyzes the vicissitudes of politics in Haiti from the demise of Duvalier through the events of    More >

During the swan song of the Soviet Union and the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, many insurgent groups that had been dependent on Moscow or Havana quickly faded into political oblivion. But some existing groups, as well as emerging ones, flourished within a new and uncharted political constellation. This comparative study probes the origins and effects of Latin America's most potent    More >

As electoral politics in Mexico have become more open and democratic, the country's economy also has been thoroughly restructured and new ideas about government, state-society relations, and Mexico's place in the international system have taken hold. Mexico's Politics and Society in Transition explores these interrelated trends. Offering fresh perspectives on the contemporary problems on the    More >

Elusive Reform explores one of the Latin American countries' biggest challenges: establishing a rule of law. Based on a close examination of historical patterns, it demonstrates how executive power and judicial disarray thwart progress toward judicial independence, state accountability, and citizen access to effective means of conflict resolution. Ungar critiques the wide spectrum of agencies    More >

Countless studies of citizen participation in public decisionmaking point out the limitations of direct democracy when it is transported from the realm of political theory into the "real world." In contrast, this book examines a case where an innovative city government gave major decisionmaking power to ordinary citizens on a large scale—and managed to survive and prosper. Since    More >

This concise, accessible volume astutely describes the complex Mexico-U.S. relationship from the beginning of the nineteenth century through the end of the twentieth. Smith begins with a brief history of early U.S.-Mexico relations, focusing on the Texas Secession, the Mexican War, and the Gadsden Purchase. By 1853, one-half of what used to be Mexico had become one-third of what is now the United    More >

Though few observers dispute that change is coming to Cuba, there is a notable lack of consensus regarding the pace and direction of that change. The authors of this collection offer a range of views on the growing political and economic challenges facing the Castro regime, how those challenges will be met, and Cuba's prospects for a peaceful transition to democracy. The book also includes two    More >

While previous analyses of public-sector reform efforts in Latin America have focused largely on strategies to redefine the role of the state in the economy, there is a growing realization that social reform—addressing such issues as poverty, inequality, and unemployment—is a condition on which economic and political stability rest. This volume provides a wide-ranging analysis of    More >

Combining historical narrative, statistics, and stories of survival behaviors in everyday life, Ana Jatar-Hausmann offers an analysis of economic policies and trends in socialist Cuba at the end of the twentieth century. Her work, incorporating the results of personal interviews with government officials, academics, and average citizens, uniquely illustrates the complexities and dilemmas of a    More >

After winning a stunning and decisive victory in Nicaragua’s 1990 presidential election, Violeta Chamorro reversed much of the social and economic policy enacted by the previous Sandinista government. Cynthia Chavez Metoyer explores state-society relationships during the Chamorro administration, focusing on the effect that the postsocialist, neoliberal state has had on women. Metoyer first    More >

The result of an ongoing collaborative effort, this book analyzes the constraints faced by Latin American countries as they seek both to consolidate fragile democratic regimes and to restore economic dynamism in the context of a new, outward-oriented development model. The authors focus on the relationship between the two goals, highlighting the interplay of societal and state-level actors and    More >

In 1990, Nicaraguans voted out the revolutionary Sandinista regime and replaced it with the conservative government of President Violeta Chamorro. Chamorro's term of office was marked by constitutional, economic, partisan, and social conflict, as her administration attempted to replace the revolutionary system with representative government and market economics. Close examines these conflicts    More >

Intrigued with the question of how societies adopt norms, institutions, and rules associated with liberal democracy, the contributors to this volume examine how political actors in Latin America reorient their behavior and attitudes to support, adapt, or acquiesce to democracy. The authors offer case studies of change in political parties in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela—countries    More >

The Brazilian economy has long been characterized by rapid growth—but equally by high inflation and an extreme maldistribution of wealth, despite the strong international reputation of the country's economists. Seeking to explain this, Chaffee links political interest with economic policy, showing how short-term political needs have dominated over long-term economic values. The book    More >

Manufacturing Insecurity provides a sobering analysis of an extraordinary boom and bust story: Nurtured by military rule and expanding international markets, Brazil's defense sector emerged as a Third World leader in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Within a decade, a country that had been almost totally dependent on outside suppliers became a significant manufacturer for the global market in    More >

Choice Outstanding Academic Book! This is a book about the economic crisis that took hold of Brazil and the rest of Latin America in the 1980s, its political consequences, and the economic reforms that were begun in the mid-'80s, but that remain incomplete a decade later. From his vantage point as both an academic economist and a political insider, Bresser Pereira explains    More >

The Salinas administration's reforms in Mexico generated both widespread attention and a host of questions. This book addresses those questions, examining the impact of the recent reforms on the state's relations with key social and political actors—labor, the peasantry, business, political parties, and the church—and assessing reform initiatives in the areas of education,    More >

Legislatures are indispensable parts of constitutional liberal democracies, controlling and criticizing the executive while voicing a wide range of opinions on public issues. This book examines the role of the legislature in the politics of democratic construction and consolidation in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Uruguay. Analyzing the status and daily operations    More >

When Peru's APRA—one of the oldest and most controversial political parties in Latin America—came to power in 1985, expectations were high for the new government, in part because a decade of economic decline and social crisis had discredited both the military and the right as alternatives. APRA did manage to maintain an unprecedented consensus for two years. But a sudden shift in    More >

This timely book explores to what degree democracy has taken root in El Salvador, and to what extent the country can strengthen democratic, civilian-controlled government institutions. The authors highlight a number of key questions: Does the electoral process allow for a fair and impartial reflection of the popular will? Is U.S. policy aiding the cause of democracy—or strengthening an    More >

In just twenty years, popular movements have changed the face of Mexican politics, as organized groups of peasants, teachers, city dwellers, women, and students have crowded into the political arena to pose new challenges to the old order of political cooptation and control. Assessing the overall political significance of this effervescence, the contributors to this book focus on the interactions    More >