The book presents a critical analysis of the contemporary democratic state in Latin America. Following the repressive years of authoritarianism and the economic hardships of the debt crisis, much hope was vested in the democratic transitions of the 1980s and 1990s. However, democracy has not resolved the inherent problems of the Latin American state. This is due to the fact that the underlying features of the contemporary state remain associated with values, social relations and institutional forms that reflect the interests of elite social groups and are closely linked to bureaucratic authoritarianism, particularly in the Southern Cone countries of the continent: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. In a shift away from the more typical analyses of Latin American political change during the 1990s, this book presents a more state-centric perspective that seeks to explain why transitions to democracy and trends towards better governance have failed to provide more political and social stability in the continent. Through a deeper analysis of underlying social relations and values and how these manifest themselves through institutions, the state is understood not purely as an institu

This book offers a new approach to the democratisation process and economic adjustment in Argentina during the 1980s. The objective of the book is to provid the key to understanding the changes undergone by the state and economy in the 1990s.

Cult-of-personality or true democracy? The rise of populism worldwide, combined with the overwhelming success of leaders in Latin America, has positioned the region at the forefront of political debate. Conventional wisdom presents this trend as a handful of charismatic individuals leading an ideological challenge to liberal democracy. But can it really be that simple? Based on exclusive interviews with over three hundred politicians - former presidents, vice presidents, current party officials and hundreds more - Latin America's Leaders exposes what the Pink Tide really thinks of its presidents. Arguing that the political styles of leaders such as Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, Alvaro Uribe and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner are far better explained in the context of their respective countries' party systems, the authors examine political stability through the paradoxical relationship between democracy and the concentration of power in charismatic individuals. This is the definitive guide to the world's most left-wing continent.

This book offers a new approach to the democratisation process and economic adjustment in Argentina during the 1980s. The objective of the book is to provid the key to understanding the changes undergone by the state and economy in the 1990s.