Taking a fresh thematic approach to politics and society in Latin America, this introductory textbook analyzes the region's past and present in an accessible and engaging style well-suited to undergraduate students. The book provides historical insights into modern states and critical issues they are facing, with insightful analyses that are supported by empirical data, maps and timelines. Drawing upon cutting-edge research, the text considers critical topics relevant to all countries within the region such as the expansion of democracy and citizenship rights and responses to human rights abuses, corruption, and violence. Each richly illustrated chapter contains a compelling and cohesive narrative, followed by thought-provoking questions and further reading suggestions, making this text a vital resource for anyone encountering the complexities of Latin American politics for the first time in their studies.

Gerardo L. Munck grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southern California. His books include Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies (with David Collier; 2022); A Middle-Quality Institutional Trap: Democracy and State Capacity in Latin America (with Sebastián Mazzuca; 2020); and Measuring Democracy: A Bridge Between Scholarship and Politics (2009). He worked on Democracy in Latin America (2004), a United Nations Development Programme report. His awards include the Frank Cass Prize for Best Overall Article in Democratization in 2016, and the Award for Conceptual Innovation in Democratic Studies in 2003.

Preface; Introduction: Latin American politics and society; Part I. A Historical Overview: 1. The state and state capacity; 2. Nation building, race, and ethnicity; 3. Political regimes and democracy; 4. Development models and socioeconomic welfare; Part II. Problems of Democracy in a Democratic Age: 5. Democracy and the quality of democracy: the never-ending quest; 6. Political inclusion and institutional innovations: women, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and ordinary people; 7. Political parties and the citizen-politician link: the persistent crisis of representation; Part III. Civil Rights as a Problem for Democracy: 8. The protection of civil rights: a pending task for democracies; 9. Transitional justice: responses to past human rights violations; 10. High-level corruption: public officials against the public interest; 11. The new violence: homicides, drugs, and the state; Part IV. Social Rights as a Problem for Democracy: 12. Social rights in law and reality: the dilemmas of democracy in unequal societies; 13. Sustainable development and neoextractivism: growth, the environment, and social action; 14. Basic social inclusion and social policy: CCTs as a poverty reduction policy; 15. Unequal democracies: the paradox of political equality and social inequality; Conclusion: 16. Latin America in perspective: lessons and prospects; Appendix. A timeline of Latin America; Glossary; References; Index.