The Economic Literature Of Latin America

Latin America is one of the most intriguing parts of the world. The region’s illustrious history, culture, and geography are famous internationally, but in terms of economics, Latin America has been generally associated with problems. For many, the combination of a resource rich region and poor economic conditions has been a puzzle. This extensively revised and updated second edition of Latin American Economic Development continues to provide the most up to date exploration of why the continent can be considered to have underperformed, how the various Latin American economies function, and the future prospects for the region. The book addresses the economic problems of Latin America theme by theme. Changes and new features in this new edition include: Expanded coverage of how institutions affect economic growth in Latin America Many new boxes and questions for review and discussion New material on how climate change affects the region Updated material to reflect the ongoing macroeconomic stability of the past decade A new chapter on the political economy of Latin America The book provides a comprehensive text for undergraduate economics courses on Latin America, and is also suitable for use by students in other disciplines looking for a wide-ranging guide to the region. This book will continue to be an invaluable resource for undergraduates looking at Latin American economics, growth, and development.

While Latin America accounts for approximately 7 percent of the world economy, easily accessible information on the economies of the region is not always easy to find. The existing literature on Latin American economics usually assumes some previous familiarity with the region and is focused on government policy choices. The Economies of Latin America is a book for the general reader needing a quick introduction to the economics of the region. The book is composed of three parts: the first explains Latin America’s economic history and a description of the central economic challenges of the region. The second offers country-specific details. The final part deals with the economic future of the region where the authors put forth a Latin American version of success. This book is a useful, in-depth introduction for students of Latin American economics as well as the general reader.

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.

How a group of intellectuals and policymakers transformed development economics and gave Latin America a new position in the world. After the Second World War demolished the old order, a group of economists and policymakers from across Latin America imagined a new global economy and launched an intellectual movement that would eventually capture the world. They charged that the systems of trade and finance that bound the world’s nations together were frustrating the economic prospects of Latin America and other regions of the world. Through the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, or CEPAL, the Spanish and Portuguese acronym, cepalinos challenged the orthodoxies of development theory and policy. Simultaneously, they demanded more not less trade, more not less aid, and offered a development agenda to transform both the developed and the developing world. Eventually, cepalinos established their own form of hegemony, outpacing the United States and the International Monetary Fund as the agenda setters for a region traditionally held under the orbit of Washington and its institutions. By doing so, cepalinos reshaped both regional and international governance and set an intellectual agenda that still resonates today. Drawing on unexplored sources from the Americas and Europe, Margarita Fajardo retells the history of dependency theory, revealing the diversity of an often-oversimplified movement and the fraught relationship between cepalinos, their dependentista critics, and the regional and global Left. By examining the political ventures of dependentistas and cepalinos, The World That Latin America Created is a story of ideas that brought about real change.

Latin America is attracting increasing interest due to the strong economic performance of the last decade and to the political changes that are taking place. This book gives a unique, comprehensive, and up to date view of Latin America economic development over the two centuries since Independence. It considers Latin American economies within the wider context of the international economy, and covers economic growth, international trade, capital flows, and trends in inequality and human development. With chapters that cover different eras, it traces the major developments of Latin American countries and offers a novel and coherent interpretation of the economic history of the region. It combines a wealth of original research, new perspectives, and empirical information to provide a synthesis of the growing literature that both complements and extends previous studies.

This extensively revised and updated second edition of Latin American Economic Development continues to provide the most up to date exploration of why the continent can be considered to have underperformed, how the various Latin American economies function, and the future prospects for the region. The book addresses the economic problems of Latin America theme by theme.

In this major work an economist with long experience as an advisor in developing countries explores the conflict between market forces and political reform that has led straight into Latin America's most serious problems. John Sheahan addresses three central concerns: the persistence of poverty in Latin American countries despite rising national incomes, the connection between economic troubles and political repression, and the relationships between Latin America and the rest of the world in trade and finance, as well as overall dependence. His comprehensive explanation of why many Latin Americans identify open political systems with frustration and economic breakdown will interest not only economists but also a broad range of other social scientists. This is "political economy" in the classical sense of the word, establishing a clear connection between the political and economic realities of Latin America.