Political Culture and Institutional Development in Costa Rica and Nicaragua: World Making in the Tropics

by Consuelo Cruz

Attempts to construct resilient democracies have been as pervasive as reversals have been cruel in Latin America. Based on a wealth of original historical documents and contemporary interviews, this volume analyzes five centuries of political history through paradigmatic examples of outstanding democratic success and abysmal failure. It demonstrates that while factors highlighted by standard explanations matter, it is political culture that configures economic development, institutional choices and political pacts in ways that directly affect democracy's chances and quality.

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2005

Reviews

[Brian Slattery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn good. Someone should write a book like this for the United States.

[Francisco Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. The initial chapters present a solid and still relevant conceptual framework on how political elites reach agreement on what is feasible. The rest of the book provides good narratives on the histories of Nicaragua and Costa Rica and their divergent paths.