Strong, colorful personalities who impose their will upon laws,
constitutions, courts, and congresses are an enduring feature of Latin
American politics, beginning with the violent regional bosses
(caudillos) of the early nineteenth century and continuing with the
'hyper-presidential' systems of today. Paul Lewis explores the origins
of the region's authoritarian culture and the different types of
regimes that have exhibited it. Taking a student-friendly
chronological approach, this thoughtful and accessible text begins
with a brief overview of Latin America's Iberian heritage, then
describes the general breakdown of order and the rise of the caudillos
following independence. Lewis shows how the internal dynamics of
caudillo politics have produced, in one country after another, either
strong personalistic dictatorships or oligarchies that ruthlessly
imposed order on their societies. Order made economic growth and
urbanization possible, yet created great social injustices that
spurred the development of mass politics. The author describes the
twentieth-century upheavals that brought the people into the political
arena, resulting in a variety of revolutionary and
counter-revolutionary regimes that borrow their inspiration from
fascism and communism. Balanced yet cautious about the future of
democracy in the region, this accessible book will be invaluable for
courses on contemporary Latin America.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780742571020
Publisert
2015
Utgiver
Vendor
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter