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.

Latin America is a region of great diversity and a rich laboratory for understanding the processes of political development and their interaction with economic growth, social modernization, and cultural influences. Highlighting crucial periods of dynamic socioeconomic and political change, Comparative Latin American Politics provides a balanced, concise overview of select Latin American countries without underestimating the complexities of a region noted for its striking differences. The book focuses on the dominant dyad of Mexico and Brazil while also considering in detail Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia, and Venezuela - seven countries that contain four-fifths of the region's inhabitants as well as an even higher proportion of its economy. Recognizing that political institutions and cultures are built over generations, author Ronald M. Schneider divides his analysis into two parts. Part one examines the period from independence to 1930, when countries were coping with an array of post-independence problems and challenges of national consolidation. Part two concentrates on 1930 to the present day and fleshes out current political practices and structures. Each part devotes chapters to specific country coverage as well as meaningful comparative perspectives that illuminate the political evolution of the region and offer salient lessons for other developing parts of the world.

Students will explore and understand the evolutions and revolutions that have brought the region to where it is today in the fully-updated new edition of Daniel Hellinger’s Comparative Politics of Latin America. This text 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. No other textbook draws on such a diverse range of scholarly literature to help students understand the ins and outs of politics in Latin America today. Insightful historical background in early chapters provides students with a way 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 such concepts as democratic breakdown and transition, formal and informal institutions, the rule of law, and the impact of globalization. Country-specific narratives integrate concepts and theories from comparative politics, leading to a richer understanding of both. Several important features of the 2nd edition ensure student success: Substantially reorganized text now with 16 chapters Focus Questions at the start of every chapter "For Review" boxes interspersed in every chapter to ensure comprehension New "Punto de Vista" boxes in every chapter, showcasing competing perspectives on democratization and development throughout the region Country locator maps spread throughout the book to help students orient themselves in the region "Democracy Snapshot" graphics show support for democracy in each Latin American country Bolded key terms focus attention on important concepts and a glossary at the end of the book provides a useful reference Discussion questions and Further Resources at the end of each chapter Integrated case studies on most countries in the region A companion website (http://www.routledge.com/cw/hellinger) with discussion questions and other useful study aids.

This book highlights the necessity of analyzing Latin American society and politics within broad comparative frameworks. It explores methodological strategies for regional comparison and offers new approaches to the study of women, state power, corporatism, and political culture.

This pioneering collection offers a comprehensive investigation into how to study public policy in Latin America. While this region exhibits many similarities with the North American and European countries that have traditionally served as sources for generating public policy knowledge, Latin American countries are also different in many fundamental ways. As such, existing policy concepts and frameworks may not always be the most effective tools of analysis for this unique region. To fill this gap, Comparative Public Policy in Latin America offers guidelines for refining current theories to suit Latin America’s contemporary institutional and socio-economic realities. The contributors accomplish this task by identifying the features of the region that shape public policy, including informal norms and practices, social inequality, and weak institutions. This book promises to become the definitive work on contemporary public policy in Latin America, essential for those who study the area as well as comparative public policy more broadly.

Political parties provide a crucial link between voters and politicians. This link takes a variety of forms in democratic regimes, from the organization of political machines built around clientelistic networks to the establishment of sophisticated programmatic parties. Latin American Party Systems provides a novel theoretical argument to account for differences in the degree to which political party systems in the region were programmatically structured at the end of the twentieth century. Based on a diverse array of indicators and surveys of party legislators and public opinion, the book argues that learning and adaptation through fundamental policy innovations are the main mechanisms by which politicians build programmatic parties. Marshalling extensive evidence, the book's analysis shows the limits of alternative explanations and substantiates a sanguine view of programmatic competition, nevertheless recognizing that this form of party system organization is far from ubiquitous and enduring in Latin America.

This text 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. No other textbook draws on such a diverse range of scholarly literature to help students understand the ins and outs of politics in Latin America today. The insightful historical background in early chapters provides students with a way 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 detailed case studies and carefully paced analysis such concepts as democratic breakdown and transition, formal and informal institutions, the rule of law, and the impact of globalization. Concepts and theories from comparative politics are well integrated into country-specific narratives and vice versa, leading to a richer understanding of both. Several important pedagogical aids foster student learning: Learning objectives at the start of every chapter "Learning checkpoints" interspersed in chapters to ensure comprehension Bolded key terms focus attention on important concepts Glossary at the end of the book provides a useful reference Discussion questions at the end of each chapter Integrated case studies on most countries in the region A companion website with practice quizzes and other useful study aids.