Democracy in Latin America: (Re)Constructing Political Society (Changing Nature of Democracy) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9280810685 ISBN 13: 9789280810684

Publisher: United Nations University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Democracy in Latin America examines democratic transition and consolidation in post-authoritarian and post-civil war Latin America. Its central premise is that the fundamental prerequisite of democracy is the existence of a polity or 'political society,' something that has been weak or under threat. The challenges of reconstructing 'political societies' rests upon a broad definition of democracy as more than electoral systems and institutions. A range of issues are embraced: dealing with past abuses of human rights; integrating societies into global market economics; the manner in which external actors—such as the United Nations, international financial institutions, and multinational corporations—have conditioned or facilitated democracy; the role of civil society; the problems of achieving a sense of citizenship in many communities; the perennial 'indigenous issue'; and the pervading gap between the procedure and the substance of democracy. The norm of democracy is becoming embedded in regional and national politics. The authors of this volume suggest, however, that the journey to meaningful democracy is unfinished.

About this title

About the Author:

Manuel Antonio Garreton M. is Professor of Sociology at the University of Chile. He was Chief Advisor to the Chilean Ministry of Education from 1990 to 1994. Edward Newman is the director of studies on conflict and security in the Peace and Governance Program of the United Nations University.

About this edition

• Publisher: United Nations University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 9280810685
• ISBN 13: 9789280810684
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360
• Editor: Garreton M. Manuel Antonio, Newman Edward