Democracies in
Development: Politics and Reform in Latin America,
by Mark Payne, Daniel Zovatto, …
The advance of democracy
in Latin America over the past quarter century has contributed significantly to
ensuring respect for fundamental political freedoms, civil liberties, and human
rights. Democracies in Development highlights how an effective democracy is
also essential for sustainable economic and social development. The book
analyzes the effects of institutions on the functioning of democratic systems,
identifies regional trends in political reform, assesses the value of reforms
in contributing to enhanced democratic governance, and offers conclusions about
the types of reforms that may hold promise for strengthening democracy.
Appendices in the book's
accompanying CD-ROM outline the institutional makeup of the region's democratic
systems, examine voter turnout in presidential and legislative elections from
1978 to 2004, and present election results over the same period.
