Political Crises, Social Conflict and Economic Development is a rare attempt to undertake comparative political economy analysis of the Andean region and thus represents a welcome contribution. . . It is clearly written and will engage scholars interested in Latin America from a wide range of disciplines. Jonathan di John, Journal of Agrarian Change This collection of essays on the political economy of the Andean region goes to the heart of the struggle these smaller economies face in completing crucial reforms and achieving higher growth. Andrés Solimano has brought together the best and the brightest talent from each country, the result being the most compelling analysis ever of how enclave development and a historical dependence on primary exports renders these countries distinctly Andean. As the essays argue, the political solutions and economic remedies must address this phenomenon, rather than mimicking those strategies of the larger emerging market countries in the region. Carol Wise, University of Southern California, US The contributors to this authoritative volume analyze the impact of political crises and social conflict on economic performance in the Andean region of Latin America. The blend of theory and case studies is also relevant for understanding other complex societies in the developing world and transition economies. The book provides illuminating insights on how to understand, and survive, the complicated interactions between volatile politics, unstable democracies, violence, social inequality and uneven economic performance. Recent political economy theories are combined with valuable quantitative and qualitative information on presidential crises, breakdowns of democracy, constitutional reforms, quality of institutions, and social inequality and exclusion to understand actual country realities. Part I provides the conceptual framework and a regional perspective of the book. Part II contains five political economy country studies Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela written by leading scholars in the field and former senior policymakers, including a former President. Together, the chapters highlight the detrimental effects of political instability and social conflict on economic growth and stability, as well as the feedback effects from poor economic performance on political instability and institutional fragility. The country studies warn that narrow economic reforms that do not pay adequate attention to politics, institutions and social structures are bound to fail in bringing lasting prosperity and stability to complex societies. Examining new and rich information on episodes of political turmoil, military interventions, forced presidential resignations, constitutional reforms and social uprisings, this book will be required reading for all those interested in the interface of politics and economic development.

By reaching out to isolated groups without access to social services, community organisations have been helping alleviate poverty throughout Latin America. Adapting to the needs of communities, these organisations' have succeeded in mobilising the poor to find solutions to their own problems. Despite being smaller than corresponding state agencies, community organisations are generally more cost effective and efficient.

EL BIEN COMÚN EN LA POLICÍA, LA JUSTICIA Y LA GOBERNABILIDAD: UNA APROXIMACIÓN DESDE EL PENSAMIENTO DE SANTO TOMAS DE AQUINO. El bien común en las policías, la acción de la justicia y la gobernabilidad, es una constante que se debe tener magnificada siempre, pues el bien común, es una forma de hacerle justicia a la propia humanidad. Dignificar su vida, su persona y la interacción con el mundo socio-cultural de cada uno de los seres humanos que hacemos posible la humanidad, es la columna central de la aplicación del bien común. En este libro, abordo el bien común desde una perspectiva del Santo Padre Tomás de Aquino. Rescato algunas premisas importantes del bien común tomista, y las trato de aplicar a la realidad jurídico-política de México. Sin embargo, dichas premisas, son pragmáticas, en su generalidad, a toda la humanidad. Con la lectura de este libro, estoy seguro que estaremos de acuerdo que la aplicación del bien común en la función pública, nos permitirá entendernos mejor como seres humanos que sienten, piensan y buscan su felicidad.

During the last fifteen years Latin American governments reformed their constitutions to recognize indigenous rights. The contributors to this book argue that these changes post fundamental challenges to accepted notions of democracy, citizenship and development in the region. Using case studies from Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru, they analyze the ways in which new legal frameworks have been implemented, appropriated and contested within a wider context of accelerating economic and legal globalization, highlighting the key implications for social policy, human rights and social justice.

This book represents a powerful analysis of the challenges of metropolitan governance in all its messiness and complexity. It examines Latin American metropolitan governance by focusing on the issue of public service provision and comparatively examining five of the largest and most complex urban agglomerations in the region: Buenos Aires, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City and Santiago. The volume identifies and discusses the most pressing challenges associated with metropolitan coordination and the coverage, quality and financial sustainability of service delivery. It also reveals a number of spatial inequalities associated with inadequate provision, which may perpetuate poverty and other inequalities. Metropolitan Governance in Latin America will be valuable reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers tackling themes of urban planning, spatial inequality, public service provision and Latin American urban development.

During the last decade, the Latin American and Caribbean region has experienced unprecedented natural resources abundance. This book highlights how transparency can help realize the benefits and reduce negative externalities associated with the extractive industries in the region. A central message is that high-quality and well-managed information is critical to ensure the transparent and effective governance of the sector. The insights from experiences in the region can help policymakers design and implement effective regulatory reforms and adopt international standards that contribute to this goal. This is particularly important at a time when the recent boom experienced by extractives in the region may be coming to an end.