Politics of Latin America: The Power Game

by Harry E. Vanden, Gary Prevost

Politics of Latin America explores both the evolution and the current state of the political scene in Latin America. Distinguishing itself from more traditional works on Latin American politics, this text demonstrates a nuanced sensitivity to the use and abuse of power and the importance of
social conditions, gender, race, and political economy. The first section of the book includes relevant information about the region's geographic setting, history, economics, society, people, and religion, setting the stage for a more detailed analysis of the politics, political movements, and
revolution in Latin America. The second part of the book consists of carefully constructed case studies of seven representative Latin American Mexico (Nora Hamilton), Argentina (Aldo C. Vacs), Brazil (Wilber Albert Chaffee), Chile (Eduardo Silva), Guatemala (Susanne Jonas), Nicaragua
(Prevost and Vanden), and Cuba (Prevost). Each case study traces the historical development of key political actors and institutions, analyzing contemporary power configurations. Featuring maps, tables, chronologies, and clear indications of key players, the text clarifies background factors and
shows students how the political game is played in each country. Each chapter ends with a bibliography that includes useful books, films, videos, and relevant web sites. Politics of Latin America is indispensable for the reader wishing to gain a deeper understanding of this complex, dynamic, and
rapidly changing region of the world.

Genres: History, Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jackson Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should know how much the United States has effected the politics of Latin America

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost exhaustive in its coverage of Latin American politics and economics, an excellent resource, no country or important event is missed, absolutely excellent and informative. An academic read, not a book to curl up on the couch with :)

I am confused why others have rated this so poorly, maybe they were not expecting it to be a textbook? Accuracy seems on point, as far as what I've learned from other books, and it was published by the Oxford University Press. My only complaint is more recent versions are unavailable on Kindle, so I am not sure whether to get an old version or lug this textbook with me to Peru.