Democracy in Latin America: Between Hope and Despair (Kellogg Institute Series on Democracy and Development) - Softcover

"Ignacio Walker's Democracy in Latin America: Between Hope and Despair draws in a critical fashion on the theories and concepts of social science to make an original argument about democracy in Latin America. His is the most balanced and comprehensive treatment of the topic currently available."--Paul E. Sigmund, Princeton University "Among the topics in Democracy in Latin America, the three main areas of focus include the history and prospects of democracy in the region, the shortcomings and strengths of presidentialism and parliamentarism, and current economic and social dynamics in Latin America's middle- and low-income countries. . . . The book offers a pleasant excursion through key periods and debates of contemporary Latin American political history."--Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies "Walker's contribution comes at the right time to fill in an important gap in the study of democracy and democratization in Latin America. This book is a welcome and much needed comprehensive historical journey through the successes and failures of democracy in the region starting with the demise of oligarchic rule in the early decades of the twentieth century."--Review of Politics "One aspect that makes this book different from many others is that, apart from being a well-trained scholar, the author has been a protagonist in the democratic processes of the region, allowing him to combine theory and practice with great versatility . . . . This book helps us to understand the weaknesses and strengths of electoral and representative democracy and the role that they have played in assuring democratic stability; it could also be used as a departure point for studying representation in participatory democracies."--Bulletin of Latin American Research "The book offers a pleasant excursion through key periods and debates of contemporary Latin American political history. If offers a comprehensive, if not exhaustive, introduction for students of democracy and development. . . . Walker's style conforms to the Latin American essayist tradition. This allows the author to enrich analysis with personal experiences and make bold arguments that are likely to elicit fruitful discussions."--Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies "In 2009, Ignacio Walker--scholar, politician, and one of Latin America's leading public intellectuals--published La Democracia en America Latina. Now available in English, with a new prologue, and significantly revised and updated for an English-speaking audience, Democracy in Latin America: Between Hope and Despair contributes to the necessary and urgent task of exploring both the possibilities and difficulties of establishing a stable democracy in Latin America. Walker argues that, throughout the past century, Latin American history has been marked by the search for responses or alternatives to the crisis of oligarchic rule and the struggle to replace the oligarchic order with a democratic one. After reviewing some of the principal theories of democracy based on an analysis of the interactions of political, economic, and social factors, Walker maintains that it is primarily the actors, institutions, and public policies--not structural determinants--that create progress or regression in Latin American democracy. Democracy in Latin America is organized by eight themes: independence and the establishment of democracy; the economic shift from exports to import substitution; democratic breakdowns, transitions, and consolidation; the double transition to democracy and trade liberalization in the 1980s and 1990s; institutions, democratic governability, and neopopulism; presidentialism and parliamentarism; the "new social question"; and the need for democracy of institutions. Walker systematically addresses the abundant literature on democracy in Latin America, combining a scholarly perspective with real world experience that enhances the understanding of political and economic development in the region."--Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of Brazil (1995-2002) "The value of this book lies in its sophisticated interpretations based on thorough analytic review of existing literature, rather than in fresh research or novel theory, and in its clear exposition for a non-scholarly audience concerned with Latin America's political and economic trajectory since Independence, and particularly over the past half-century. These qualities make for a volume that is highly appropriate for non-specialist readers in both academe and the general public and for adoption in Latin American Studies courses."--The Americas "There are quite a few works dealing with democracy and democratization in Latin America; however, Democracy in Latin America is unique in that Ignacio Walker takes a broad historical view, grounded on a good command of the relevant literature. The overall historical grounding of the book makes it very useful for introductory and general survey undergraduate courses on Latin America, while the detailed discussion of some of the issues (past and present) should be very good material for discussion and further research at the graduate level."--Guillermo O'Donnell (1936-2011), Kellogg Institute for International Studies "Ignacio Walker's book, Democracy in Latin America: Between Hope and Despair, depicts the political development of Latin America over the last few centuries in a thorough and thoughtful manner. . . . Overall Walker balances broad theory with specific examples to thoroughly consider the political challenges of Latin America."--International Law and Politics

In 2009, Ignacio Walker-scholar, politician, and one of Latin America's leading public intellectuals-published La Democracia en América Latina. Now available in English, with a new prologue, and significantly revised and updated for an English-speaking audience, Democracy in Latin America: Between Hope and Despair contributes to the necessary and urgent task of exploring both the possibilities and difficulties of establishing a stable democracy in Latin America.

Walker argues that, throughout the past century, Latin American history has been marked by the search for responses or alternatives to the crisis of oligarchic rule and the struggle to replace the oligarchic order with a democratic one. After reviewing some of the principal theories of democracy based on an analysis of the interactions of political, economic, and social factors, Walker maintains that it is primarily the actors, institutions, and public policies-not structural determinants-that create progress or regression in Latin American democracy.