Part of the International Library of Policy Analysis series, this book provides the first detailed examination of the practice of policy analysis in Mexico. Whilst shaped by the legacy of the Mexican state's colonial history as well as by recent social, economic and political developments, the study of policy analysis within Mexico provides important comparative lessons for other countries. Contributors study the nature of policy analysis at different sectors and levels of government as well as by non-governmental actors, such as unions, business, NGOs and the media, promoting the use of evidence-based policy analysis, leading to better policy results. The book is a vital resource for academics and students of policy studies, public management, political science and comparative policy studies.

Cooperatives, Grassroots Development, and Social Change presents examples from Paraguay, Brazil, and Colombia, examining what is necessary for smallholder agricultural cooperatives to support holistic community-based development in peasant communities. Reporting on successes and failures of these cooperative efforts, the contributors offer analyses and strategies for supporting collective grassroots interests. Illustrating how poverty and inequality affect rural people, they reveal how cooperative organizations can support grassroots development strategies while negotiating local contexts of inequality amid the broader context of international markets and global competition. The contributors explain the key desirable goals from cooperative efforts among smallholder producers. They are to provide access to more secure livelihoods, expand control over basic resources and commodity chains, improve quality of life in rural areas, support community infrastructure, and offer social spaces wherein small farmers can engage politically in transforming their own communities. The stories in Cooperatives, Grassroots Development, and Social Change reveal immense opportunities and challenges. Although cooperatives have often been framed as alternatives to the global capitalist system, they are neither a panacea nor the hegemonic extension of neoliberal capitalism. Through one of the most thorough cross-country comparisons of cooperatives to date, this volume shows the unfiltered reality of cooperative development in highly stratified societies, with case studies selected specifically because they offer important lessons regarding struggles and strategies for adapting to a changing social, economic, and natural environment.

Scenes from Havana to Santiago. Through an abundance of dynamic photographs, Portraits of Cuba depicts the experiences of Cubans of different ages and walks of life who are navigating the challenges and changes transforming the island today. From the vintage colonial architecture and potholed streets of Havana to the farms and winding highways of the countryside, images by documentary photographer Daniel Duncan capture daily life across the nation. Expert commentary by Marcela Vasquez-Leon and Dereka Rushbrook describes the history of el bloqueo, the economic embargo imposed by the U.S. government in 1960. The book also features selections from interviews with Cubans who highlight how the island residents continue to invent, adapt, and persevere in the face of this and other complicated circumstances. Duncan's photographs represent many aspects of the arts, religion, politics, public messaging, agriculture, and the economy in contemporary Cuba. Despite issues such as limited natural resources, dependence on imports, climate change and rising sea levels, and the departure of many of its young people, the island has emerged as an innovative player in addressing today's global problems. The authors note how the advances made by Cuba's sustainable farmers, scientists, medical teams, and literacy campaigns are models throughout the developing world.Portraits of Cuba celebrates the ingenuity, solidarity, and deep-rooted resilience of the Cuban people, illustrating how they are creating their own form of democracy in the long shadow of the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the 60-year blockade.