Governing Latin America - Hardcover

"Governing Latin America offers a superb overview of contemporary politics throughout the region. It blends original research with expansive synthesis in a way that is informative, provocative, and stimulating. The treatment of social movements is especially remarkable. I would recommend this book to students, colleagues, and the general reading public." Peter H. Smith, University of California "This is destined to become the essential text for courses on Latin American politics. It draws on contemporary political science for its analytical approach, and marries this with a lively and informed discussion of political development in Latin America. I know of no other book that succeeds so well in compressing a complicated story into a coherent and compelling narrative." Alan Angell, University of Oxford

Governing Latin America is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the contemporary politics of the region. Focusing on the enduring difficulties of achieving democratic stability, it explores the conduct of government through classic concepts like authority, accountability, and participation. The book brings Latin America into mainstream, comparative politics. The book combines regional and international perspectives into an original synthesis. The book is organized around comparative topics, not particular countries. The focus is on government and the difficulties of achieving democratic stability. The approach is thematic and uses classic concepts of political science.