Challenges To Governance In Latin America And The Pacific Rim

In spite of the defeat of hyperinflation and improvements in macroeconomic management, the 1990s Washington Consensus-based reforms failed to reverse long-existing declines in productivity in Latin America. They also failed to create adequate local credit markets necessary for higher and more stable growth. By neglecting key matters of distribution, social welfare and investment in the region's human resources, the reforms have limited the prospects for long-term growth and left millions of Latin Americans feeling as if they have little stake in democratic governance and market economics. Drawing upon insights from top political and economic analysts from Latin America and the United States, Latin America after the Washington Consensus: Re-assessing Policies and Priorities discusses the need to reduce current levels of inequality and unemployment, invest in education to increase productivity and competitiveness, and strengthen the capacity of the state to withstand changes in the global economy. Reaching higher rates of growth would solve many of the region's problems, but most Latin American countries have yet to generate the institutional and social conditions that would sustain such growth and endow local economies with more resilience. Warning against one-size-fits-all solutions, Latin America after the Washington Consensus insists that each Latin American state must respond to these challenges with pragmatic strategies based on its own strengths and weaknesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for governments to generate the necessary capacity to address important security and institutional challenges; this volume deepens our understanding of the nature and extent of state governance in Latin America. State capacity is multidimensional, with all elements interacting to produce stable governance and security. As such, a collection of scholars and practitioners use an explicit interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the contributions of history, political science, economics, public policy, military studies, and other fields to gain a rounded understanding of the link between security and democracy. Democracy and Security in Latin America is divided in two sections: Part 1 focuses on the challenges to governance and key institutions such as police, courts, armed forces. and the prison system. Part 2 features country case studies that illustrate particularly important security challenges and various means by which the state has confronted them. Democracy and Security in Latin America should appeal not only to those seeking to learn more about the capacity of the democratic state in Latin America to effectively provide public security in times of stress, but to all those curious about the reality that a democracy must have security to function.

This book introduces readers to the deep political tensions in the Asia-Pacific and offers classroom simulations designed to encourage students to delve deeper into the issues and dynamics of the region.

This book conceptualizes the economic relations between China and Latin America in different national cases from the perspectives of international political economy–based structuralism theory, the core-periphery model and the world system theory. It contributes to the interpretation of the consequences of the interaction between China’s successful modernization and Latin America’s failed development model.

East Asia is one of the most dynamic areas of political change in the world today-what role do citizens play in these processes of change? Drawing upon a unique set of coordinated public opinion surveys conducted by the World Values Survey, this book provides a dramatically new image of the political cultures of East Asia. Most East Asian citizens have strong democratic aspirations, even in still autocratic nations. Most East Asians support liberal market reforms, even in nations where state socialism has been dominant. The books findings thus provide a new perspective on the political values of Asian publics. We demonstrate that the dramatic socioeconomic changes of the past several decades have transformed public opinion, altering many of the social norms traditionally identified with Asian values, and creating public support for further political and economic modernization of the region. Political culture in East Asia is not an impediment to change, but creates the potential for even greater democratization and marketization. Comparative Politics is a series for students and teachers of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. The General Editors are Max Kaase, Professor of Political Science, Vice President and Dean, School of Humanities and Social Science, International University Bremen, Germany; and Kenneth Newton, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Southampton. The series is produced in association with the European Consortium for Political Research.

This book examines the role of external powers in Latin America in the 21st century. Non-traditional partners have significantly increased their political and economic engagement with the continent. Five key questions arise: why has this surge taken place; when has it happened; in which regions and sectors is it mostly felt; what is the Latin American perspective; and what are the actual results? The book analyses 16 case studies: the United States, the European Union, China, Russia, Japan, Canada, India, Turkey, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, the ASEAN countries, South Africa and Australia. The spectrum of existing explanations in the literature spans from neo-extractivism to South-South cooperation. This volume places them in context and proposes a more multifaceted approach, stressing a combination of systemic factors and internal dynamics both in Latin America and in the external partner countries. Geopolitics still matters and so do nation states, their interests and leaders. Ultimately, this surge in engagement has largely reproduced past patterns. Are new partners that different from the old ones?

A comprehensive and accessible overview of the economic history of Latin America over the two centuries since Independence. It considers its principal problems and the main policy trends and covers external trade, economic growth, and inequality.