Includes bibliographical references.

1. Introduction and overview -- What has happened : the course of events -- Changes in structures and processes -- The ethnic mosaic -- Economics and geography -- Leadership, violence, democracy, and religion -- Periodization -- 2. The colonial background -- Overview -- The colonizers' baggage -- What the Spanish built in North America -- What the Spanish built in South America -- Administrative changes in the 1700s -- The Portuguese-Brazilian variant -- Seeds of dissatisfaction and nationalist stirrings in Spanish America -- 3. A region of new nations from colonialism to consolidation -- Overview -- Brazil : peaceful separation and preservation of monarchy -- Mexico : Caudillo dominance and foreign intervention -- Argentina : Caudillo rule to elite democracy -- Uruguay : independent in name, not fact -- Paraguay : isolation that breeds delusions -- Northern and Western South America : Gran Colombia plus Peru divided into six nations -- Central America : easy independence, disunity, and diversity -- The Caribbean : Haiti's war for independence and the Dominican Republic -- Latin America in 1870 -- 4. Consolidation and development -- Overview -- Brazil : from monarch to republic -- Mexico : authoritarian modernization -- Argentina : national consolidation and elite "democracy" -- Colombia : an elite "democracy" degenerating into Civil War -- The second tier : divergent paths and uneven modernization -- Central America : different paths, but not to political development -- The Caribbean : better days for Haiti, but instability in the Dominican Republic -- Latin America in 1899.

5. The new century dawns -- Overview -- Brazil : the long process of escaping São Paulo domination -- Mexico : dictatorship, revolution, and civil war -- Argentina : The false dawn of democracy -- Colombia : reconstruction and maintenance of control -- The second tier : each in its own path -- Central America : more of the same, except for one -- The Caribbean : US intervention for all -- Latin America in 1929 -- 6. From the Great Depression into the Cold War -- Overview -- Brazil : the Vargas era -- Mexico : institutionalizing the revolution -- Argentina : from democracy's "false dawn" to Perón -- The situation in 1955 -- 7. Depression, the Cold War, and weak leadership -- Overview -- Colombia : from a promising start to rampant violence -- Peru : the army versus APRA, doom for democracy -- Venezuela : dictatorship, democracy, and dictatorship again -- Chile : redemocratization and the old dictator as a populist -- Bolivia : national trauma and revolution -- Ecuador : Velasco Ibarra versus the field -- Uruguay : hard days for democracy -- Paraguay : another war before recovery from the last catastrophe -- Central America : falling less behind -- The Caribbean : strongmen and the legacy of US occupation -- Latin America in 1955 -- 8. Inferno and the hard road back -- Overview -- Brazil : the road into and back from military takeover -- Mexico : institutionalized stability and economic viability -- Argentina : Peronism versus military rule -- Colombia : out of step in a positive Way -- Differing paths; varying patterns.

9. Coups, military regimes, and ends of tunnels -- Overview -- Peru : out of and back into military rule -- Venezuela : establishment of democracy -- Chile : after a good start, disaster -- Bolivia : collapse of still-young democracy -- Ecuador : Velasco or the military -- Uruguay : the wilting of the flower of democracy -- Paraguay : durable dictatorship -- Similarities and differences -- 10. Central America and the Caribbean, 1956-1979 -- Overview -- Central America : frustration and travail -- The Caribbean : Castro, Duvalier, and Trujillo -- The new nations : enriching the laboratory -- Latin America in 1979 -- 11. Twilight of the generals and dawn of democracy -- Overview -- Brazil : transition to and consolidation of democracy -- Mexico : from a hegemonic system to full democracy -- Argentina : "civil-military twilight" into renovated Peronism -- Colombia : parallel power, rebels, and drug traffickers -- Reflections on the four pillars -- 12. Democratization's diverse paths toward democracy, 1980-1999 -- Overview -- Peru : disillusionment, infatuation with Fujimori, and illusions destroyed -- Venezuela : a rundown democratic system -- Chile : the way back to democracy -- Bolivia : to the future by way of the past -- Ecuador : catching up with neighbors -- Uruguay : regaining its democratic reputation -- Paraguay : better late than never -- Central America : different roads to democracy -- The Caribbean : falling behind the others -- The "new Caribbean" : rough going for many but not all -- Latin America at century's end.

13. Entering the new century -- Overview -- Brazil : from Cardoso to Lula to 2006 -- Mexico : democracy established, progress stalemated -- Argentina : climbing back from crisis -- Colombia : getting serious with insurgency -- Peru : after Fujimori, political disenchantment -- Venezuela : Chávez, Caudillo, or would-be Castro? -- Chile : consolidating democracy's poster boy -- Ecuador : trouble incorporating the Indian masses -- Bolivia : pressure for a second revolution -- Uruguay : rise of the left -- Paraguay : still well behind, but moving -- Central America : consolidating democratic gains -- The Caribbean : little reason for optimism -- The new Caribbean : maturation and growing pains -- Where Latin America stands -- 14. Comparative perspectives on Latin America's political development -- Spurts of political development -- Conceptualization -- Conditioning factors -- Where the region stands -- Democracy : the only game in town? -- Violence and militarism -- 15. Conclusions and a look into the future -- Leadership : essential element or desirable catalyst? -- Is there a Latin American family of nations? -- Convergence, or each in its own way? -- Learn from experience, or plunging blindly ahead? -- Whither Latin America? -- Latin America and the world -- Epilogue. Latin America's critical 2006 elections.

"This chronologically organized text provides comprehensive historical coverage of Latin America's politics and development from colonial times to the twenty-first century. Its standardized organization across chapters facilitates both the study of a given country through time and the comparison of many countries at particular historical junctures. Latin American Political History focuses on the political and developmental experiences of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia - together representing three-quarters of the region's population - and also considers the importance of Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Central America, and the Caribbean. The roles of leading political personalities are highlighted throughout and major patterns of political development are analyzed in the concluding chapters. Latin American Political History is an invaluable textbook for courses in Latin American history, politics, and government."--BOOK JACKET.

c/c 258474