Latin American Politics: An Introduction, Second Edition

In this updated edition, Close continues to make analysis the focus of the book, offering students an important way to study the evolution of politics in Latin America. Organized around political actors and dynamics rather than cases, the book allows students to see patterns across cases and shifts over time. For students of comparative politics, this book is an invaluable tool for understanding Latin American politics. Julie Mazzei, Kent State University

Close has written an up-to-date and well-rounded textbook that will critically engage students of Latin American politics. Each chapter covers a broad theme that cuts across time and space. Prologues open the chapters with captivating discussions of related topics. Individual cases are discussed within thematic chapters, allowing students to examine specific events in light of theoretical approaches and regional patterns. This has been my favorite textbook of Latin American politics for years. Felipe Amin Filomeno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Latin American Politics makes a significant contribution to the relevancy of Latin American politics by focusing on select topics that are pertinent to the continent as a whole, rather than examining each of the region's countries in isolation. Nibaldo Galleguillos, McMaster University

The lucky students who, through this book, are introduced to the study of politics and power in Latin America, will learn not only about Latin American political history, culture, processes, and institutions, but also about their own political history and traditions. David Close uses Latin America as a mirror that Canadian and American students can use to better understand the nature of their own domestic politics, as well as the politics of other countries outside Latin America. He achieves this feat by combining two approaches: area studies to capture the historical specificity of Latin America, and conceptual comparative politics to develop an understanding of similarities and differences between Latin America and other regions of the world. Andrés Pérez-Baltodano, Western University