ABSTRACT
Bolivian society has undergone profound changes in the last few decades, primarily driven by two important, related forces: changing demographics and modernization. With a population of a little more than ten million, Bolivia is one of the smaller countries in the region. But its population growth rate is among the highest, with an estimated doubling time of only 40 years. Perhaps in no area are continuities and contradictions more visible than in Bolivia's economy. Despite many important improvements in socioeconomic development indicators, the country's economy continues to be dominated by the export of natural resources. Bolivia's political culture is difficult to assess. The country has a vibrant civil society, marked both by its dense patchwork of neighborhood, occupational, and other social organizations and their propensity to mobilize on behalf of political, social, or economic demands. At the same time the country has the propensity to rally around populist figures, a long history of personalization of politics, and widespread clientelism.
