Latin American Politics and Society: A Comparative and Historical Analysis

Description

Taking a fresh thematic approach to politics and society in Latin America, this introductory textbook analyzes the region's past and present in an accessible and engaging style well-suited to undergraduate students. The book provides historical insights into modern states and critical issues they are facing, with insightful analyses that are supported by empirical data, maps and timelines. Drawing upon cutting-edge research, the text considers critical topics relevant to all countries within the region such as the expansion of democracy and citizenship rights and responses to human rights abuses, corruption, and violence. Each richly illustrated chapter contains a compelling and cohesive narrative, followed by thought-provoking questions and further reading suggestions, making this text a vital resource for anyone encountering the complexities of Latin American politics for the first time in their studies.

Gerardo L. Munck grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southern California. His books include Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies (with David Collier; 2022); A Middle-Quality Institutional Trap: Democracy and State Capacity in Latin America (with Sebastian Mazzuca; 2020); and Measuring Democracy: A Bridge Between Scholarship and Politics (2009). He worked on Democracy in Latin America (2004), a United Nations Development Programme report. His awards include the Frank Cass Prize for Best Overall Article in Democratization in 2016, and the Award for Conceptual Innovation in Democratic Studies in 2003. Juan Pablo Luna grew up in Montevideo, Uruguay, and is Professor of Political Science at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and Associate Researcher with the Millennium Institute for Foundational Research on Data. His books include Latin American Party Systems (with Kitschelt, Hawkins, Rosas, and Zechmeister; Cambridge, 2010); Segmented Representation, Political Party Strategies in Unequal Democracies (Oxford, 2014); The Resilience of the Latin American Right (with Rovira-Kaltwasser; Johns Hopkins, 2014); En vez del optimismo. Crisis de representacion politica en el Chile actual (Catalonia, 2017); and Political Parties and Diminished Subtypes (with Rosenblatt, Pineiro, and Vommaro; Cambridge, 2021).

'This book is impressive in scope and depth. It offers an introduction to Latin America for those unfamiliar with the region and a novel perspective for specialists - one centered on inequality and state weakness as conditioning factors for the attainment of full citizenship and for regime-level dynamics. Especially impressive is how the authors integrate cutting-edge scholarship across disciplines, a wealth of easy-to-interpret empirical data, and images that capture key ideas visually. Comparisons around topical themes offer frameworks for thinking through pressing questions, and invite inquiry into individual cases. Support materials for instructors are pedagogically careful and creative. This book will profoundly shape how we teach about Latin American politics in the years to come.' Santiago Anria, Dickinson College 'Latin American Politics and Society is a superb resource. The book covers the classic themes in the study of Latin America, as well as emerging debates on civil rights, inclusion, organized crime, extractivism, and social policy. Munck and Luna have set a new standard for teaching about the region.' Anibal Perez-Linan, University of Notre Dame 'This excellent textbook, by two preeminent scholars of the region, will introduce students to the problems 'of and for democracy' in Latin America, to its history, and to its contemporary politics. The book offers students a deep understanding of the significant advances the countries of Latin America have made, as well as the issues with which they continue to struggle.' Daniel Brinks, The University of Texas at Austin 'This textbook offers a wonderful overview of Latin American politics. It does so through a clever thematic lens that is matched with rich empirical detail and discussions on the very latest research. The comprehensive coverage of the region's contemporary politics is excellently grounded in the historical focus that comprises the first part of the book. I have been waiting for a textbook like this; I look forward to using it in my undergraduate class.' David Doyle, University of Oxford 'Munck and Luna have produced an exceptionally useful textbook for students of Latin American politics. The textbook strikes a highly effective balance between the analysis of regional themes and the exploration of specific country experiences drawn from across the region. Another distinctive strength is the skill with which it explores classic topics such as democracy and authoritarianism while also covering political issues that have gained prominence more recently, including neoextractivism, gender quotas, and conditional cash transfers.' Kent Eaton, University of California, Santa Cruz 'Latin American Politics and Society is an ambitious book that will serve as an authoritative introduction to stimulate and intrigue new students, as well as a powerful and comprehensive synthesis that will engage knowledgeable readers for some time to come. It is rich in empirical detail, and yet panoramic in its overview of the region's history and development.' Maxwell Cameron, University of British Columbia 'An ideal book for my undergraduate class on Latin American politics. The book covers classic themes, along with new ones, and countries that my students enjoy discussing. It has a welcome consideration of women, indigenous peoples, and Afro-descendants. Each chapter is clearly organized and presents arguments in an engaging way.' Astrid Arraras, Florida International University 'This book is a welcomed titanic enterprise that combines historical, cross-national, and case-specific knowledge with simple yet sharp analytical ideas. It helps to understand the region both to newcomers, such as undergraduate students in the social sciences, and to scholars who may specialize in specific countries but lack a comparative perspective. It artfully dissects the Latin American paradox of democracies coexisting with weak states and extremely unequal societies. It goes beyond the narrower traditional institutional perspective of politics, taking a political economy approach that connects democracy and its problems to the prevalent economic models over time, while simultaneously bringing upfront an intersectional approach to the inequalities omnipresent in this lopsided continent.' Maria Jose Alvarez Rivadulla, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia 'This introduction to Latin America's social and political issues combines a historical perspective with a sharp analytical framework. It is encompassing but never superficial, accessible to non-specialists while avoiding simplification. A thoughtful book one reads with pleasure while being constantly provoked by exciting questions. It takes two among the most innovative Latin American scholars, like Munck and Luna, to yield such an accomplished tale about the continent's past and present formidable challenges in searching for more just and democratic societies.' Maria Herminia Tavares de Almeida, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil 'This book is a tour de force and an instant classic! It takes a fresh, innovative lens to the study of Latin American politics and society, and does so in an accessible and engaging way while also relaying the complexity of the political contexts and challenging the reader. In decades of teaching Latin American politics and society, I have never found a textbook that quite fits. This book is what I have been looking for, and I have already adopted it for my courses.' Merike Blofield, Institute for Latin American Studies at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and the University of Hamburg