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Latin America is a region of great diversity and a rich laboratory for understanding the processes of political development and their interaction with economic growth, social modernization, and cultural influences. Highlighting crucial periods of dynamic socioeconomic and political change, Comparative Latin American Politics provides a balanced, concise overview of select Latin American countries without underestimating the complexities of a region noted for its striking differences. The book focuses on the dominant dyad of Mexico and Brazil while also considering in detail Argentina, Chile, Peru, Columbia, and Venezuela - seven countries that contain four-fifths of the region's inhabitants as well as an even higher proportion of its economy.

Recognizing that political institutions and cultures are built over generations, author Ronald M. Schneider divides his analysis into two parts. Part one examines the period from independence to 1930, when countries were coping with an array of post-independence problems and challenges of national consolidation. Part two concentrates on 1930 to the present day and fleshes out current political practices and structures. Each part devotes chapters to specific country coverage as well as meaningful comparative perspectives that illuminate the political evolution of the region and offer salient lessons for other developing parts of the world.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface(p. v)
• Acronyms(p. xi)
• Maps(p. xvi)
• Introduction and Overview of Latin America(p. 1)
• Part 1 Latin America: Independence to 1930
• 1 Comparative Perspectives: Independence to 1930(p. 13)
• 2 Brazil: Independence to 1930(p. 33)
• 3 Mexico and Argentina: Independence to 1930(p. 55)
• 4 Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Chile: Independence to 1930(p. 79)
• Part 2 Latin America Since 1930
• 5 Comparative Perspectives: Latin America Since 1930(p. 99)
• 6 Brazil Since 1930(p. 113)
• 7 Mexico Since 1930(p. 105)
• 8 Argentina Since 1930(p. 195)
• 9 Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Chile Since 1930(p. 241)
• Part 3 Comparative Perspectives and Outlook
• 10 Comparative Perspectives on Latin America's Political Development(p. 305)
• 11 A Look into the Future(p. 321)
• Glossary(p. 337)
• Index(p. 341)

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CHOICE Review

Schneider (Queens College, CUNY) has accomplished the remarkable feat of producing a major book on Latin American politics 51 years after the appearance of his first book, Communism in Guatemala: 1944-1954 (coauthored with Arthur Whitaker). Comparative Latin American Politics concentrates on the period since 1930. The emphasis is on Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina--Brazil is the focus of most of Schneider's own research. Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and Chile are discussed in two comparative chapters. The book will appeal to those who prefer a traditional treatment of Latin American politics centered on presidents, politics, institutions, and political parties. Given Schneider's relatively scant attention to geography and economic development, his concise book might be combined with a more student-friendly and less scholarly book, such as Paul Goodwin's Latin America (2008), in the McGraw-Hill "Global Studies" series, which deals with all the countries in the region. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and undergraduate students. R. E. Hartwig Texas A&M University--Kingsville

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Ronald M. Schneider is emeritus professor of political science at Queens College, CUNY. He is the author of Brazil: Culture and Politics in a New industrial Powerhouse (Westview Press) and Latin American Political History (Westview Press) as well as many other books on Latin American politics. He has also publisher a wide variety of analyses of Brazilian elections through the Center for strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.