Constructing Democratic Governance Vol. 1 : Themes and Issues

In Constructing Democratic Governance, Jorge I. Domínguez and Abraham F. Lowenthal bring together a distinguished group of scholars to assess how well democracy has been working in this volatile part of the world. The authors find that serious problems still plague these new democracies. Many of these problems are related to the political institutions, including political parties, the civil service, and the justice system. Part I introduces broad thematic surveys of such key issues as the role of the left, conservatism, inequality, and indigenous peoples. Part II reviews the South American nations. Part III focuses on Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, including Cuba. In Part IV, the volume editors draw conclusions about the problems and prospects for stable democracies in Latin America.

In addition to the complete hardcover edition, Constructing Democratic Governance is available in three paperback volumes, each containing the introduction and conclusion from the complete edition and organized for convenient course use.

Jorge I. Domínguez is professor of government at the Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. He is co-editor of Democracy in the Caribbean: Political, Economic, and Social Perspectives, also available from Johns Hopkins. Abraham F. Lowenthal is professor of international relations at the University of Southern California and former executive director of the Inter-American Dialogue. His previous books include Exporting Democracy: The United States and Latin America and Partners in Conflict: The United States and Latin America in the 1990s, both available from Johns Hopkins.