Latin American Democracy

More than thirty years have passed since Latin America began the arduous task of transitioning from military-led rule to democracy. In this time, more countries have moved toward the institutional bases of democracy than at any time in the region's history. Nearly all countries have held free, competitive elections and most have had peaceful alternations in power between opposing political forces. Despite these advances, however, Latin American countries continue to face serious domestic and international challenges to the consolidation of stable democratic governance. The challenges range from weak political institutions, corruption, legacies of militarism, transnational crime, and globalization among others.
In the second edition of Latin American Democracy contributors - both academics and practitioners, North Americans, Latin Americans, and Spaniards-explore and assess the state of democratic consolidation in Latin America by focusing on the specific issues and challenges confronting democratic governance in the region. This thoroughly updated revision provides new chapters on:
the environment,
decentralization,
the economy,
indigenous groups,
and the role of China in the region.

Richard L. Millett is professor emeritus at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and Vice President of the American Committees on Foreign Relations. Jennifer S. Holmes is a professor and Head of Public Policy, Political Economy and Political Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. Orlando J. Pérez is associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Millersville University. He is a member of the Scientific Support Group for the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) at Vanderbilt University and directs the Americas Barometer survey in Panama.

1. Introduction: Democracy in Latin America: Promises and Perils, Section One: The State of Latin American Democracy 2. Democratic Consolidation in Latin America? 3. Measuring Democratic Political Culture in Latin America 4. Latin American Democracy: The View from the South. The United States and the OAS: What Frustrates the Americans? 5. Latin American Democracy: The View from the South.6. The Rule of Law in Latin America Section Two: The Status of Institutions 7. Executive-Legislative Relations and Democracy in Latin America 8.Women and Politics in Latin America 9. Decentralization and Local Government in Latin America 10. The State, the Military and the Citizen: New Security Challenges in Latin America11. Democracy and Populism in the Andes: A Problematic Coexistence Section Three: Domestic and Regional Issues 12. Indigenous Mobilization and Democracy in Latin America13. Crime and Citizen Security: Democracy's Achilles Heel14. Economic Development and Democracy in Latin America.15. Democratic Governance and Corruption in Latin America16. Chinese Influence on Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities 17. Conclusion. Slow Progress and False Promises.