This book can be read both as a general introduction to Latin American politics and as a reflection on the condition of democracy in the region. Its focus is clearly set up in a rich and nuanced conceptual discussion of democracy in the first chapter. In this chapter, the author (the book's editor, Katherine Isbester) makes two important points that frame the subsequent historical analysis of the region's political systems: (1) democracy is not just a set of procedures but a system of government with an ethical content based on the principles of freedom, equality and justice; and (2) any analysis of democracy should focus on three core components: the state, civil society and the economy. While welcome, the incorporation of moral, institutional and socio-economic dimensions to the concept of democracy risks falling into a fuzzy conceptualisation of the term. However, Isbester's definition places her within the pluralist tradition, including pluralism's moral core: she defines democracy as ‘a system that disperses power through its institutions and procedures so that the domination of one person, group, or interest can be kept to a minimum’ (p. 2).
The conceptual discussion in the first chapter is followed by a second chapter on the political history of democracy in Latin America and by a third that surveys institutions and issues in Latin American governance. The second chapter is used by Isbester to ground her arguments about the nature and weaknesses of Latin American democracies in the history of the region. She claims that a pattern emerges by which most countries are characterised by political regimes of elite rule that are ‘constitutionalised’ into minimum democracies operating through weak states. She further argues that democratic institutions have been historically subverted by non-democratic practices of economic exploitation, social exclusion, clientelism and crony capitalism. The third chapter examines political and social institutions and concludes that a weak state, limited rule of law, fragmented political parties, malapportioned legislatures, presidentialism and weak bureaucracies have undermined democratic institutions, procedures and norms. The case studies cover the largest countries in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico) as well as some medium-sized (Chile, Venezuela) and small ones (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Bolivia). The short chapters combine a historical overview with analysis of contemporary political institutions and developments up until around 2009, with a special focus on the strengths and weaknesses of democracy in the countries covered.
The book concludes with a survey of the main social, political and economic indicators of the quality of democracy in the region. It ranks countries in terms of gross national income, human development, social expenditure, tax revenue, inequality, homicide and corruption, and divides the countries of the region into those in which democracy (including state institutions, civil society and socio-economic welfare) works well (Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Venezuela), those in which it ‘barely works’ (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico), those in which it might work (Bolivia and, again, Venezuela) and those in which it does not work (most Central American nations).
Edited books frequently amount to little more than a number of case studies flimsily held together by a perfunctory introduction, and the diversity of Latin America makes this danger even greater. Thankfully, this is not the case with Isbester's book. The three introductory chapters provide a strong conceptual, historical and institutional analytical framework for the case studies that follow, and the conclusion brings them together with the backing of a battery of well-chosen indicators. Isbester, however, appears to be unable to make up her mind about whether the contemporary condition of democracy in Latin America is yet another chapter of a history of failures and shortcomings, or if substantive progress has been made towards genuine democratisation. The two views are sometimes expressed awkwardly close to each other (see, for instance, the last paragraph of p. 351 and the second paragraph of p. 352). But perhaps this should not be held against her, as democracy in the region has made uneven progress not only between countries but also within countries.
Unavoidably in a regional survey, there are some sweeping generalisations: while the neoliberal reformation swept throughout the region in the 1990s, not every pre-Pink Tide democracy in the region can be characterised as a ‘neoliberal democracy’ nor every state as a ‘neoliberal state’ (in the case of some Central American countries, good-quality neoliberal institutions may even have constituted progress if they had been implemented, as shown by the case of Chile). As the case studies show, the failures of the state and the shortcomings of democracy have long historical roots in the region. The classification of countries in the conclusion can be challenged (while far from perfect, Brazilian democracy more than ‘barely works’). But a few disputable generalisations are vastly compensated for by a thoughtful and balanced analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of democratic institutions in the region. The case studies are of a very good standard, with those of Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia being particularly strong.
In short, this is an excellent book. It should be extremely useful for students of Latin American politics at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and, more generally, will appeal to all those interested in an informed and insightful overview of the quality of democracy in the region.
