Latin American Political Culture ─ Public Opinion and Democracy

This textbook introduces the political culture of Latin America by several methods applied to 18 countries. Its discussion is largely based, however, in rigorous empiricism. The authors analyze attitudes and behaviors through data gathered by the Latin American Public Opinion Project's (LAPOP) AmericasBarometer surveys. They attempt to answer the twin questions “Do Latin Americans Support Democracy?” (Answer: More so than not, but this is a recent shift.) and “Do Latin Americans Reject Authoritarian Norms?” (Answer: Yes, but not as robustly as do North Americans.) They then consider how well informed citizens are, their political expectations and level of participation. Key features include tables and figures illustrating data from the AmericasBarometer surveys, case studies in each chapter, further analysis exercises, and many comparisons to the United States and Canada. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)