Latin American Politics and Development - Softcover

Howard J. Wiarda is Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations at the University of Georgia and senior associate in residence at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including A Concise Introduction to Latin American Politics and Development.

Harvey F. Kline is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Alabama. He is the author of numerous books including Colombia: Democracy Under Assault, A Concise Introduction to Latin American Politics and Development, Historical Dictionary of Colombia, Showing Teeth to the Dragons: State-Building by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, 2002-2006, and Chronicle of a Failure Foretold: The Peace Process of Colombian President Andrés Pastrana, among others.

This book contains comprehensive chapters by recognized experts on the twenty most important Latin American countries. Taken together, these chapters provide the best available introduction to Latin American politics and government for undergraduate students.” Richard Eric Hartwig, Texas A&M-Kingsville

This edited work offers a comprehensive analysis of the multicultural complexities of the myriad of issues confronting Latin America today . For students of Latin American politics and inter-American relations, Wiarda and Kline's text is informative and intellectually challenging and is worth buying and careful reading.” ID: International Dialogue, A Multidisciplinary Journal of World Affairs

 
The book is particularly strong in making students familiar with the characteristics of each country, including physical, economic, political, and cultural features.” Ana Margheritis, University of Florida

Thanks to the painstaking efforts on the part of the volume's contributors, who have continually endeavored to keep this well-established political science anthology up-to-date, the 8th edition of Latin American Politics and Development offers a comprehensive and current examination of politics, economics, and society across contemporary Latin America. Its analytical detail at the national level is complimented by the global perspective its contributors bring to their particular chapters, making the volume a useful contribution to the analysis of recent trends in individual countries, as well as a helpful resource for tracing general patterns of political change throughout the region over the 20th and early 21st centuries.” Delaware Review of Latin American Studies

Praise for the Previous Editions:

"Gathered from writers who are experts in regions throughout Latin America, the chapters vividly highlight important historical events as well as current political challenges facing these nations. This book remains a staple in the field of Latin American politics. Highly recommended.” Choice

This is the outstanding textbook in comparative Latin American politics." Jorge I. Dominguez, Harvard



 
Most of the chapters are written by top county experts (in particular, Paul Sigmund on Chile; Scott Palmer on Peru; David Myers on Venezuela; Fabrice Lehoucq on Bolivia; Cathy Conaghan on Ecuador; Mitch Seligson on Costa Rica; Richard Millett on Nicaragua; Tommie Sue Montgomery and Christine Wade on El Salvador; Mark Ruhl on Hunduras; Steve Ropp on Panama; and Georges Fauriol on Haiti) and are knowledgeable and accurate.” Cynthia McClintock, George Washington Univeristy

 
The strengths of the Wiarda and Kline book are that many of the country chapters are well-written and follow a similar outline.” Sherrie Baver, CUNY, City College

 
The greatest strength is the breadth of country coverage by contemporary country specialists. 20 countries including major countries like Peru as well as all Central American and a couple of Caribbean countries (besides Cuba). Country analyses are ideologically neutral for the most part. Historical narratives are usually of appropriate length and have been kept up to date. Analytical themes are usually jargon free and therefore accessible to more general college audiences.” Philip Meeks, Creighton University