Tuesday-Thursday, 1:30 p.m.                                            Office Tel: 1501/1280/Home: 243-2552
Office Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 3-5                                     Denny 207/ ruhl@dickinson.edu
 

        Latin America is undergoing a difficult political and economic transition.  The repressive military regimes of the past have been replaced by democratically elected governments, and Latin Americans are freer than they have ever been before.  Many of the region’s new democracies, however, are still incomplete and unconsolidated.  The quality of governance they have provided thus far also has been disappointing.  Nearly all of the elected governments in the region have implemented controversial free market economic reforms that have increased economic growth but not reduced widespread poverty and inequality.  Not surprisingly, unfulfilled economic expectations as well as popular frustration with endemic government corruption and rising street crime are causing growing disillusionment with democracy in Latin America.  Recent surveys show that a significant minority of Latin Americans already would be willing to support authoritarian solutions to these problems.  The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the contemporary politics and government of this important region at a critical juncture in its history.  

Required Books:

Forrest D. Colburn.  Latin American at the End of Politics (Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 2002).

Jorge I. Domínguez and Michael Shifter, eds.  Constructing Democratic Governance in Latin America (Baltimore:  Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003).

Alma Guillermoprieto.  Looking for History:  Dispatches from Latin America (New York:  Random House, 2000).

Howard J. Wiarda and Harvey F. Kline.  An Introduction to Latin American Politics and Development (Boulder: Westview Press, 2001).

Students are also required to obtain the February 2005 issue of Current History (Latin America) and the June 5, 2004 issue of The Economist (Survey of Argentina).

Recommended Reading:

BBC Latin America News

1.      Quiz on February 24 (10% of the final grade)

Brief test on material covered to date.  Short-answer questions (fill-ins and multiple choice) and brief identifications.

2.      Midterm Examination on March 21 (30%)

Exams are composed of long essays (40% to 60%), short essays, and short-answer questions.  Detailed knowledge of the assigned readings and lecture/discussion material is necessary for success.  Documented illness or a confirmed personal emergency at home are the only acceptable reasons for rescheduling an exam.  Please do not request a rescheduled exam because of other exams on the same day or vacation plans.

3.       Research Paper due April 20 at 12:00 noon (30%)

The focus of papers this semester will be on the potential for democratic consolidation in Latin America.  Students will analyze a single Latin American country's democratic prospects. Papers should be no less than 3,500 words in length.  Papers will be evaluated in terms of research depth, writing quality, and quality of analysis. No extensions will be granted except for documented illness or confirmed personal emergency at home.  Points will be deducted for late papers as follows: late by one calender day or less (1 pt.), more than one full day late but less than two full days (3 pts.), more than two full days but less than three days late (6 pts.), additional late days (10 pts. for each day).

    Useful Websites for research on Latin American countries include:

    Country Watch
    Human Rights Watch
    Latin American Network Information Center
    World Audit

4.       Final Examination on May 15 at 9:00 a.m. (30%)

A non-cumulative exam focusing on material covered since the mid-term.

5.       Class participation

The final course grade is based on the four grades above, but strong class participation is also taken into account by adding one or more extra points into the final grade calculation for consistently active, well-informed participation in class.  Regular attendance is expected and frequent unexcused absences from class (four or more) will result in a reduced grade (one letter grade for every additional class missed).  Attendance is also required at the Latin American Studies evening lecture on Bolivia (March 1).

        Foreign Language Integration Course (FLIC) Option in Spanish

Students who have completed Spanish 116 or its equivalent are encouraged to take P.S. 251 as a foreign language integration course.  FLIC credit may be obtained by doing substantial research for the term paper in Spanish-language sources or by writing the paper in Spanish. 

Course Outline and Assigned Readings:

I.        Latin America in Transition:  An Introduction          January 24, 27

  Colburn, 2-15
  Wiarda and Kline (W&K), xiii-7
  Anderson and Dodd Journal of Democracy  (July 2002), 80-94 on Nicaragua
  Ruhl Armed Forces and Society (Fall 2003), 117-127, 133-135

II.        Latin America's Past:  Dictatorship and Revolution            January 31

  W&K, 7-39, 71-74
  Guillermoprieto, 73-86
  Colburn, 26-32
  Guatemala chapter in McDonald and Ruhl, Party Politics and Elections in Latin America (1989), 277-289
  Evening Film and Discussion on Argentina's History  (January 31, 6:30 p.m.)

III.        Political Actors in Contempory Latin America

        A.       Social Groups                        February 3, 7

  W&K, 51-71, 82-98, 102-110
  Colburn, 46-54, 66-72, 82-88
  Indigenous Politics in Bolivia, handouts TBA
  Guillermoprieto, 3-17
  Htun in Domínguez and Shifter (D&S), 118-136
  Colburn, 90-97

        B.        The Military                         February 10

  W&K, 74-82
  Ruhl Journal of Democracy (July 2004), 137-151
  Diamint in D&S, 43-53

        C.        Guerrillas and Narcotraffickers            February 14, 17

  W&K, 108
  Guillermoprieto, 19-71
  Colombia Update, TBA
  Visit FARC Website                                     
 
         D.        The United States                  February 21, 24 

  W&K, 98-102
  Colburn, 100-107, 120-125
  The Image of the U.S. in Latin America (survey handout)
  Valenzuela Current History (February 2005)
  Shifter and Jawahar Current History (February 2005)
  Bush Speech in Brazil (2005) handout

                                       <<Quiz: February 24>>                   

IV.        Democracy in Latin America        

        A.         Concepts and Rankings                    February 28, March 3

  Diamond et al., Huntington, and Linz-Stepan Definitions
  W&K, 201-204
  Freedom House Rankings (2006)
  Lehoucq Journal of Democracy  (July 2005) on Costa Rica
  Colburn, 34-43
  W&K, 39-40
  Lagos in D&S, 137-161 and 2005 Update
  W&K, 167-200
  Research Paper Assignment

        B.        Applications:  Comparing Cuba, Venezuela, and Chile             March 7, 10

  Guillermoprieto, 87-139
  Corrales Current History (February 2005)
  Coppedge in D&S, 165-192
  McCoy Journal of Democracy (January 2005), 109-123
  Aguero in D&S, 292-320
  Updates on Chile and Venezuela (handout) 

                                  <<Midterm Examination:  March 21>>

   V.         Quality of Governance Issues:  Policy-Making and Policy Implementation     

         A.         Governing Latin America                    March 24, 28

  W&K, 131-146
  Carey in D&S, 11-42
  W&K, 147-166, 111-121, 128-129
  Colburn, 37-38 

         B.        Economic Policy                                    March 31, April 4

  Green (on reserve), 73-86
  Corrales in D&S, 76 to top of 79, 80-81, 90-93
  López Montaño NACLA Report (November/Dec. 2003), 34-39  E-Journal Page

         C.        Social and Environmental Policies         April 7

  Colburn, 18-23, 56-63

         D.        Crime and Corruption                            April 11, 14

  Colburn, 74-79
  Visit Corruption Rankings
  Schneider and Amar NACLA Report (September/October 2003), 12-16   Library E-Journal Page
  Amar NACLA Report (September/October 2003), 37-42  E-Journal Page 

VI.          Country Studies

          A.        Mexico                        April 18, 21
   
  W&K, 195-198
  Guillermoprieto, 185-206, 220-223, 286-303
  Visit Zapatista Website  
  Dresser in D&S, 321-347
  Dresser Current History (February 2005)
  News article updates

          B.        Brazil                            April 25, 28
   
    W&K, 172-173  
    Lamounier in D&S, 269-291  
    Hunter and Power Journal of Democracy (July 2005), 127-139   

          C.        Argentina                      May 2, 5

    W&K, 168-169
    Levitsky in D&S, 244-268
    Levitsky and Murillo Journal of Democracy (October 2003), 152-166  
    Survey of Argentina The Economist (June 5, 2004), 3-12  
    View Current News in English from Argentina

                                       
                                            <<Final Examination:  May 15>>
                                                                9:00 a.m.

          Note:  The photo at the top of the page is by Pavel Calahorrano of El Comercio (Quito)                     

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