ABSTRACT
A wave of economic and political liberalization is sweeping the world. Most countries in Latin America and almost all nations in Eastern Europe are undergoing these transitions simultaneously: from a semiclosed to an open economy and from an authoritarian to a liberal democratic polity. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the adoption and operation of electoral systems, with a special emphasis on the origins of the new electoral arrangements and their consequences for party systems and effective government. It focuses on the development of executive-legislative relations in the framework of the contrasting models of parliamentary and presidential forms of government. The book also discusses the obstacles to economic liberalization in Brazil, focusing on the failure of several stabilization and liberalization plans since the reestablishment of democracy in that country.
