Nearly thirty years have passed since Latin America began the arduous task of transitioning from military-led rule to democracy. In this time, more countries have moved toward the institutional bases of democracy than at any time in the region's history. Nearly all countries have held free, competitive elections and most have had peaceful alternations in power between opposing political forces. Despite these advances, Latin American countries continue to face serious domestic and international challenges to the consolidation of stable democratic governance. The challenges range from weak political institutions, corruption, legacies of militarism, transnational crime, and globalization, among others. The second edition of Latin American Democracy maintains the mix of practitioners and academic that composed the first edition. Contributors from both North and Latin America explore and assess the state of democratic consolidation in Latin America by focusing on the specific issues and challenges confronting democratic governance in the region. Changes incorporated into the latest edition include: Major revisions to chapters on the US administration's policies in regards to Latin America; women's political and institutional roles in Latin America; indigenous movement mobilization; Latin America economic issues, incorporating the 2008 financial crisis, and corruption and its effect on democracy in the region. New chapter on the process of decentralization and local government development. New chapter exploring the factors affecting the environment and democratic governance in Latin America. New chapter analyzing the challenges and opportunities of the increased Chinese presence in the region.
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