The dilemmas of democracy in Latin America
Subtitle: crises and opportunity
By: Howard J. Wiarda, with the assistance of Esther M. Skelley.
Contributors: Skelley, Esther M.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Lanham, Md
Language: eng
Number of pages: 249
Subjects: Democracy -- Latin America; Latin America -- Politics and government -- 1980-; United States -- Relations -- Latin America; Latin America -- Relations -- United States
Description: "Dilemmas of Democracy in Latin America explores two main themes: why democracy in Latin America is in such trouble, and why U.S. policy in the area so often goes astray. The book argues that Latin America was founded on such a different basis than the United States and has such a different history, political culture, and sociology that it cannot possibly imitate the U.S. model of democracy. U.S. policy in Latin America also goes astray not just because Americans neglect the area but because, fundamentally, we don't understand it, nor do we want to understand it.

Ultimately it is only with a renewed approach to U.S. policy - one that includes respectfully engaging with the myriad histories and cultures of the region - that we can hope to encourage strong and effective democratic traditions."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Latin America in comparative perspective; title: Three paradigms for interpreting Latin America; title: Civil society in Latin America; title: Human rights in Latin America; title: The dilemmas of democracy in the Dominican Republic; title: Venezuela and Argentina : development and disintegration; title: Cuba and Marxism-Leninism; title: Democracy and U.S. policy in the Caribbean basin; title: Reassessing U.S. policy in Latin America; title: Neoliberalism and its problems; title: Transitions to democracy, or something less than that?.