ABSTRACT
Latin America is filled with countries on the road toward democratic consolidation— some further than others. This chapter discusses with an explanation of just how institutions offer an insightful and pragmatic approach to the study of democracy. Political institutions represent a subset of all institutions— they are different from social institutions such as a book reading club or economic institutions such as the free market. In particular, political institutions shape the scope of human interaction that expressly revolves around questions of power. Political institutions in Latin America draw from political traditions, thought, and culture throughout this history. The chapter examines some of the democratic countries of the Latin America that share a colonial history with Spain or Portugal. Most Latin American countries became democratic at about the same time in the most recent wave of democratization. Although most countries in Latin America are democratic, they vary in their level of democracy.
