Comparative Politics of Latin America

This new edition brings Daniel C. Hellinger's brilliantly succinct and accessible introduction to Latin America up to date for a new generation of educators. In crisp detail, Hellinger gives a panoramic overview of the continent and offers a unique balance of comparative politics theory and interdisciplinary country-specific context, of a thematic organization and in-depth country case studies, of culture and economics, of scholarship and pedagogy. Insightful historical background in early chapters provides students with ways to think about how the past influences the present. However, while history plays a part in this text, comparative politics is the primary focus, explaining through fully integrated, detailed case studies and carefully paced analysis. Country-specific narratives are integrated with concepts and theories from comparative politics, leading to a richer understanding of both.
Updates to this new edition include:
- Revisiting contemporary populism and the global emergence of right-wing populism.
- The pros and cons of extractivism; the impact of Chinese investment and trade.
- Contemporary crisis in Venezuela; expanded treatment of Colombia and Peru.
- The role of the military; LGBTQ+ issues; corruption; violence; identity issues.
- New sections on social media, artificial intelligence, and big data cyber technologies.
- Examination of post-Castro Cuba; Costa Rica's exceptionalism.
- Broader study of environmental movements; how governments relate to social movements.
- Examination of personalist parties; refugee and asylum rights.
- Interventionist policies of the current U.S. administration.
- Early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comparative Politics of Latin America is a thoughtful, ambitious, and thorough introductory textbook for students beginning Latin American Studies at the undergraduate level.

Daniel C. Hellinger is Professor Emeritus of International Relations, Webster University. His other books include Venezuela: Tarnished Democracy (1991); Venezuelan Politics in the Chávez Era (2001), and Bolivarian Democracy in Venezuela (2011). He has held Fulbright awards at the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile, and the Autonomous University of Madrid and has been a visiting scholar at St. Antony's College, Oxford, the Central University of Venezuela, and Shanghai Institute for Finance and Economics.

Introduction. Latin American Studies and the Comparative Study of Democracy Part 1: Comparative Politics, Democratic Theory, and Latin American Area Studies 1. Conceptions of Democracy 2. The Few and the Many: Inequality in Latin American Politics Part 2: Historical Legacies, Mass Politics, and Democracy 3. Democratic and Autocratic Threads before Columbus and in Colonial Latin America 4. Political without Economic Independence 5. Populism, Development, and Democracy in the Twentieth Century 6. Development and Dependency: Theory and Practice in Latin America Part 3: Regimes and Transitions in Latin America 7. Democratic Breakdown and Military Rule 8. Transitions from Party-Dominant Regimes: Mexico and Venezuela 9. Democracy in Times of Revolution 10. Civilians and Soldiers in Illiberal Times Part 4: Civil Society, Institutions, Human Rights 11. Social Class and Social Movements in Latin America 12. Parties, Media, and Left-Right Populism 13. Institutions, Constitutions and Constituent Power 14. Human Rights, Corruption, and the Rule of Law Part 5: Latin America in the World 15. Democracy in Times of Globalization 16. No One's "Backyard" Anymore? Afterward