Latin America In Times Of Turbulence

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com/doi/view/10.4324/9781003324249, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. This book accounts for and analyses the latest developments in Latin American presidential democracies, with a special focus on political institutions. The stellar line-up of renowned scholars of Latin American politics and institutions from Latin America, Europe, and the United States offer new insights into how democratic institutions have operated within the critical context that marked the political and social life of the region in the last few years: the eruption of popular protest and discontent, the widespread distrust of political institutions, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Combining different methodological approaches, including cross-national studies, small-N studies, case studies, and quantitative and qualitative data, the contributions cluster around three themes: the problem with fixed terms and other features of presidentialism, inter-institutional relations and executive accountability, and old and new threats to democracy in these times of turmoil. The volume concludes with an assessment of the political consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. Beyond current scholars and students of comparative political scientists, Latin America in Times of Turbulence will be of great interest to a wide spectrum of readers interested in comparative systems of government, democracy studies, and Latin American politics more generally.

Over the past few years, something remarkable has occurred in Latin America. For the first time since the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua in the 1980s, people within the region have turned toward radical left governments - specifically in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Why has this profound shift taken place and how does this new, so-called Twenty-First-Century Socialism actually manifest itself? What are we to make of the often fraught relationship between the social movements and governments in these countries and do, in fact, the latter even qualify as 'socialist' in reality? These are the bold and critical questions that Latin America's Turbulent Transitions explores. The authors provocatively argue that although US hegemony in the region is on the wane, the traditional socialist project is also declining and something new is emerging. Going beyond simple conceptions of 'the left', the book reveals the true underpinnings of this powerful, transformative, and yet also complicated and contradictory process.

In a global economy beset by concerns over a growth recession, financial volatility, and rising inflation, countries in the Western Hemisphere have been among the few bright spots in recent years. This has not come as a surprise to those following the significant progress achieved by many countries in recent years, both in macroeconomic management and on the structural and institutional front. Hence, there can be little doubt, as this book argues, that economic and financial linkages between Latin America, the United States, and other important regions of the world economy have undergone profound change.

With the rapid destabilization, escalation and convergence of various environmental crises, global environmental politics is facing extreme turbulence. Tracing the causes, consequences and dangers of planetary turbulence, this essential book identifies the emerging opportunities to improve governance in environmental politics and transition the world order toward greater equity, justice and sustainability.

Motivated by recent bursts of global financial market turbulence, this paper investigates the linkages between the financial markets in the United States and those of the seven largest Latin American economies, focusing on the impact of shocks originating in the U.S. stock, bond, and currency markets. After documenting that cross-country linkages were different in "tranquil" and "turbulent" times within our sample, we find that: (i) for stock markets, recent episodes of market turbulence stood out from preceding ones as they showed an increased sensitivity of Latin American markets to U.S. shocks, reversing a trend of weakening linkages; (ii) currency markets in Latin America exhibited a decrease in cross-market linkages with the U.S. during the last episodes of volatility, consistent with increased exchange rate flexibility in the region; and (iii) the external bond markets in Latin America remained on a trend of weakening linkages with U.S. corporate bonds, while they increased their sensitivity to movements in other emerging market bond markets.

Hardcover book with hood, printed on paper Dalí Camoscio.

The current downturn may prove more brutal than most previous recessions. It's already hammering companies in markets around the globe. It will test businesses to their fullest-many won't survive. But downturns present strategic opportunities, too. In fact, many more companies achieve dramatic gains during recessions than in normal times. How to ensure your company emerges successful? In Winning in Turbulence, a new volume in the Memo to the CEO series, Bain & Company downturn strategist Darrell Rigby provides the playbook. He presents a powerful framework and diagnostic tool (available in the book and online) for assessing three dimensions of your situation: Your industry's sensitivity: How hard is it hit by this downturn? Your company's strategic position: Are you an industry leader or follower? Your firm's financial position, including cash reserves. The author then explains how to craft an action plan tailored to the situation you've diagnosed, providing tools for: Cutting costs intelligently-sustaining your margins and brand Boosting revenue by refocusing your sales force on the right customers Channeling resources into your core businesses Preparing for bold moves, such as game-changing acquisitions Timely and practical, this book positions you to survive a downturn and emerge stronger once the recovery begins.

This bold and comprehensive reassessment of democracy in Venezuela explains why one of the oldest and most admired democracies in Latin America has become fragile after more than three decades of apparent stability.