Download or read book Electoral Observation and Democratic Transitions in Latin America written by Kevin J. Middlebrook and published by Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies University of Cali. This book was released on 1998 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the evolution of electoral observation strategies since the 1980s, the relative contributions that foreign and domestic observers can make to free and fair elections and to the democratization process more generally, and the principal lessons learned from electoral observation initiatives in Latin America during the 1980-90s.
Download or read book Democratic Transition and Consolidation in Southern Europe Latin America and Southeast Asia written by Diane Ethier and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The breakdown of authoritarian regimes in Greece, Spain and Portugal in the mid-70s was the beginning of a new cycle of democratization at the world scale. The 1980s have seen the emergence of formal, constitutional democracies in many countries, especially in Latin America and Southeast Asia. This book analyses in a comparative perspective the causes, the modalities and the prospects of these political changes in three regions: Southern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Download or read book Elites and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America and Southern Europe written by John Higley and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A distinguished group of scholars examine recent transitions to democracy and the prospects for democratic stability in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. They also assess the role of elites in the longer-established democratic regimes in Columbia, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico and Venezuela. The authors conclude that in independent states with long records of political instability and authoritarian rule, democratic consolidation requires the achievement of elite 'consensual unity' - that is, agreement among all politically important elites on the worth of existing democratic institutions and respect for democratic rules-of-the-game, coupled with increased 'structural integration' among those elites. Two processes by which consensual unity can be established are explored - elite settlement, the negotiating of compromises on basic disagreements, and elite convergence, a more subtle series of tactical decisions by rival elites which have cumulative effect, over perhaps a generation.
Download or read book Democracy and the Public Space in Latin America written by Leonardo Avritzer and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-10 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a bold new study of the recent emergence of democracy in Latin America. Leonardo Avritzer shows that traditional theories of democratization fall short in explaining this phenomenon. Scholars have long held that the postwar stability of Western Europe reveals that restricted democracy, or "democratic elitism," is the only realistic way to guard against forces such as the mass mobilizations that toppled European democracies after World War I. Avritzer challenges this view. Drawing on the ideas of Jürgen Habermas, he argues that democracy can be far more inclusive and can rely on a sphere of autonomous association and argument by citizens. He makes this argument by showing that democratic collective action has opened up a new "public space" for popular participation in Latin American politics. Unlike many theorists, Avritzer builds his case empirically. He looks at human rights movements in Argentina and Brazil, neighborhood associations in Brazil and Mexico, and election-monitoring initiatives in Mexico. Contending that such participation has not gone far enough, he proposes a way to involve citizens even more directly in policy decisions. For example, he points to experiments in "participatory budgeting" in two Brazilian cities. Ultimately, the concept of such a space beyond the reach of state administration fosters a broader view of democratic possibility, of the cultural transformation that spurred it, and of the tensions that persist, in a region where democracy is both new and different from the Old World models.
Download or read book Democracy in Latin America written by Manuel Antonio Garretón Merino and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Premising that the fundamental prerequisite for democracy is a healthy political society, political and other social scientists, most from the region, examine the democratic transition and consolidation in post-authoritarian and post-civil war Latin America. Among the issues they address are justice and reconciliation, integration into global economic institutions, and the role of external powers. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
Download or read book Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean written by and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Latin American Elections written by Richard Nadeau and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2017-01-19 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Michigan model, named after the institution where it was first articulated, has been used to explain voting behavior in North American and Western European democracies. In Latin American Elections, experts on Latin America join with experts on electoral studies to evaluate the model’s applicability in this region. Analyzing data from the AmericasBarometer, a scientific public opinion survey carried out in 18 Latin American nations from 2008 to 2012, the authors find that, like democratic voters elsewhere, Latin Americans respond to long-term forces, such as social class, political party ties, and political ideology while also paying attention to short-term issues, such as the economy, crime, corruption. Of course, Latin Americans differ from other Americans, and among themselves. Voters who have experienced left-wing populism may favor government curbs on freedom of expression, for example, while voters enduring high levels of economic deprivation or instability tend to vote against the party in power. The authors thus conclude that, to a surprising extent, the Michigan model offers a powerful explanatory model for voting behavior in Latin America.
Download or read book Democracies in Development written by J. Mark Payne and published by IDB. This book was released on 2002 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The accompanying CD-ROM features country-by-country election results for presidential and legislative elections."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Fault Lines of Democracy in Post transition Latin America written by Felipe Agüero and published by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This book was released on 1998 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concerns about democratization in Latin America today center not on the threat of authoritarian regression, but on the depth, quality, fairness, and completeness of democratization thus far. Large-scale economic and social reforms, stronger and more complex civil societies, and processes of integration and globalization call for new approaches in order to understand the unfolding of democracy in the region. In this context, the contributors to this volume explore the often disjunctive aspects of Latin American democracy, providing a nuanced understanding of contemporary democratic governance.
Download or read book Causes and Consequences of Electoral Manipulation in Hybrid Regimes in Latin America written by Jaroslav Bílek and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-06-10 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book fills research gaps in the field of Latin American electoral politics, explaining the causes and consequences of electoral manipulation in the hybrid regimes of Latin America between the 1980s and 2020s. This research falls within the field of comparative democratization with the ambition of deepening knowledge on the topic of electoral manipulation in hybrid regimes. In the last decade there has been a clear shift towards hybrid regimes in a considerable number of states (Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Honduras). The common occurrence of such regimes, often referred to by the collective term "hybrid" or "mixed", has led to a rapid expansion of empirical research. However, the current state of research in this field is unsatisfactory. Although existing scholarship tends to agree that the common feature of these regimes is the incumbents' tendency to interfere in political competition, little is known about how incumbents select between different forms of electoral manipulation and how such different forms go on to affect electoral results.
Download or read book Transitions from Authoritarian Rule written by Guillermo O’Donnell and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2013-07-16 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An array of internationally noted scholars examines the process of democratization in southern Europe and Latin America. They provide new interpretations of both current and historical efforts of nations to end periods of authoritarian rule and to initiate transition to democracy, efforts that have met with widely varying degrees of success and failure. Extensive case studies of individual countries, a comparative overview, and a synthesis conclusions offer important insights for political scientists, students, and all concerned with the prospects for democracy. Political democracy is not the only possible outcome of transitions from authoritarianism. The authors draw out the implications of democracy as a goal and of the uncertainty inherent in transitional situations. Democratization is perhaps the central issue in Latin American politics today. Case studies focus on Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Download or read book Electoral Rules and Democracy in Latin America written by Cynthia McClintock and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-28 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During Latin America's third democratic wave, a majority of countries adopted a runoff rule for the election of the president, effectively dampening plurality voting, opening the political arena to new parties, and assuring the public that the president will never have anything less than majority support. In a region in which undemocratic political parties were common and have often been dominated by caudillos, cautious naysayers have voiced concerns about the runoff process, arguing that a proliferation of new political parties vying for power is a sign of inferior democracy. This book is the first rigorous assessment of the implications of runoff versus plurality rules throughout Latin America, and demonstrates that, in contrast to early scholarly skepticism about runoff, it has been positive for democracy in the region. Primarily through qualitative analysis for each country, the author argues that, indeed, an important advantage of runoff is the greater openness of the political arena to new parties--at the same time that measures can be taken to inhibit party proliferation. In this context, it is also the first volume to address whether or not a runoff rule with a reduced threshold (for example, 40% with a 10-point lead) is a felicitous compromise between majority runoff and plurality. The book considers the potential for the superiority of runoff to travel beyond Latin America--in particular, and rather provocatively, to the United States.
Download or read book Repression Resistance and Democratic Transition in Central America written by Latin American Studies Association. International Congress and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2000 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For Central America, the last third of the 20th century was a time of dramatic change in which most countries shifted from dictatorships to formal political democracy. This study demonstrates how revolt and revolution served as the motors of political change in Central America. The book examines the various ways in which democratic transition has taken place - all of which have been distinct from countries in South America, where democratization was relatively sudden and peaceful. It analyzes the major forces shaping change in the region and provides the recent political history of all six Central American countries: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama. Each country's particular transition should add to the reader's understanding of democratization.
Download or read book The Quality of Democracy in Latin America written by Daniel H. Levine and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In considering the nature and future prospects of the current wave of democracies in Latin America, analysis has shifted from a concern with regime change, transitions, and consolidation to a focus on the quality of these democracies. To what extent, for example, do citizens participate and influence decision making? Are elections free and fair? Are there ways of ensuring government accountability? Do unelected power brokers exert undue influence?Furthering this new approach, the authors of The Quality of Democracy in Latin America provide a rich, nuanced analysis-centered on a multidimensional theoretical foundation-of democratic systems in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
Download or read book Elections before Democracy The History of Elections in Europe and Latin America written by Eduardo Posada-Carbó and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-07-27 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book looks at various aspects of electoral history in Europe and Latin America, from the late 17th century to 1930, including electoral culture and traditions, electoral participation, electoral fraud, the role of elections in the process of nation-building, and the role of important institutions, such as the Church, in shaping political values and therefore electoral behaviour. There are chapters devoted to the individual experiences of England, Mexico, Ecuador, Ireland, Germany, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Spain.
Download or read book Elections and Democracy in Central America Revisited written by Mitchell A. Seligson and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume represents a continuation and significant expansion of the study of the relationship of elections to democracy in Central America that the editors began with Elections and Democracy in Central America.
Download or read book Democracy in Latin America written by Peter H. Smith and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2005 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Democracy in Latin America: Political Change in Comparative Perspective examines processes of democratization in Latin America from 1900 to the present. Organized thematically, with a unique historical perspective, the book provides a widespread view of political transformation throughout the entire region. In clear and jargon-free prose, the book: * Traces the origins and evolution of democracy in Latin America * Examines the adoption and reform of electoral institutions * Assesses the policy performance of contemporary democracies * Explores the political representation of women, workers, and indigenous peoples * Evaluates trends in public opinion * Reveals the recent rise of "illiberal democracy" Adroitly blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, Democracy in Latin America offers a new and startling explanation for the prevalence of electoral democracy in modern-day Latin America and presents an in-depth analysis of political challenges now confronting the region as a whole--including poverty, inequality, and criminality. In addition to maps, tables, and figures, the book provides carefully selected illustrations and numerous boxes containing anecdotal material and conceptual commentary. Comprehensive in scope, rigorous in method, and thoroughly accessible to students and general readers, Democracy in Latin America: Political Change in Comparative Perspective is ideal for a broad variety of undergraduate courses in political science, history, and sociology.