ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides brief overviews of Latin American history, parties and interest groups, government, political economy, relations with the United States, and the struggle for democracy. Until the 1930s, Latin America had often been feudal and medieval in its thinking, but then education increased, literacy expanded, and radio and television brought new ideas to even the most isolated areas. The book analyzes how deep and extensive the changes are, and what impact a changing, more democratic and participatory political culture has had on institutions and policy. It describes how people feel about government, as well as how they perceive their relationship to it. Modernity and tradition often exists side by side in Latin American countries—the most traditional agricultural methods alongside the most modern skyscrapers—reflecting the mixed, often transitional nature of Latin American society.
