Democracy in Latin America Visions and Realities

In the two years since the first edition of this work was published, numerous developments have occurred in Latin America, yet few structural changes have taken place. With the Reagan Doctrine for the region weakened and discredited, mass-based social movements growing more rapidly than ever, and the Latin American governments pursuing a new "relative autonomy,"the editors have felt the need to address some of these changes in this updated volume. New material, particularly on Nicaragua and Guatemala, and new chapters have been added to the original collection of articles, providing an analysis of current contradictions and a framework for understanding the events that are shaping the region. Through the writings of leading Latin American and U.S. scholars, including James Petras, Pablo Gonzalez Casanova, and Max Azicri, the book addresses such important topics as whether Washington's "model democracies"are truly democratic, and how Guatemala's civilian regime compares to Nicaragua's revolutionary democracy. By covering countries as diverse as Cuba, Argentina, and Guatemala, the collection adds to an understanding of different models of democracy and challenges traditional methodologies used to evaluate them. Several essays put the issue of democratization in the context of economic crisis, resulting in political redefinitions, and the emergence of the new social movements. The book includes a foreword and introduction by the editors, and concludes with a comprehensive index. It will be a useful resource for courses in political science and Latin American history, and an important addition to college, university, and public libraries.Jonas, Susanne is the author of 'Democracy in Latin America Visions and Realities' with ISBN 9780897891646 and ISBN 0897891643.