ABSTRACT

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.

chapter |23 pages

Introduction

Latin American Studies and the Comparative Study of Democracy

part I|61 pages

Comparative Politics, Democratic Theory, and Latin American Area Studies

chapter 1|32 pages

Conceptions of Democracy

part II|113 pages

Historical Legacies, Mass Politics, and Democracy

part III|144 pages

Regimes and Transitions in Latin America

part IV|147 pages

Civil Society, Institutions, Human Rights

part V|85 pages

Latin America in the World

chapter 15|44 pages

Democracy in Times of Globalization

chapter 16|36 pages

No One’s “Backyard” Anymore?

chapter |4 pages

Afterword

Tentative Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Democracy in Latin America