A Political Geography of Latin America

A Political Geography of Latin America
Author: Jonathan R. Barton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2002-11-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1134828063

The nation-states and peoples of South and Central America, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, that together form the political geographical region of Latin America, encompass a wide range of societies, politics and economies. This text exposes the differences between places, regions and countries, individuals and societies, offering an invaluable insight into the themes of political and economic development, and provides a guide to understanding power and space relations. From the Antarctic to the tropical jungles, the coastal communities to the highland villages, the mega-cities to isolated rural existence, the political geographies of lives, localities, cities and rurality are too sophisticated to be subjected to generalizations. Adopting a critical human geography perspective, Jonathon Barton provides an understanding of similarities, difference and sophisticated human geographies.

Latecomer State Formation

Latecomer State Formation
Author: Sebastian Mazzuca
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 0300258615

A major contribution to the field of comparative state formation and the scholarship on long-term political development of Latin America “Ambitious and rich. . . . A sweeping and general theory of state formation and detailed historical reconstruction of essential events in Latin American political development. It combines structural elements with a novel emphasis on the political incentives and bargaining that shaped the map we have today.”—Hillel David Soifer, Governance Latin American governments systematically fail to provide the key public goods for their societies to prosper. Sebastián Mazzuca argues that the secret of Latin America’s failure is that its states were “born weak,” in contrast to states in western Europe, North America, and Japan. State formation in post-Independence Latin America occurred in a period when capitalism, rather than war, was the key driver forging countries. In pursuing the short-term benefits of international trade, Latin American leaders created states with chronic weaknesses, notably patrimonial administrations and dysfunctional regional combinations. Mazzuca analyzes pathways leading to variations in country size and level of pacification: “port-led” state formation in Argentina and Brazil; “party-led” in Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay; and “lord-led” in Central America, Venezuela, and Peru.

Placing Latin America

Placing Latin America
Author: Edward L. Jackiewicz
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2012-02-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1442212446

This comprehensive study offers a thematic approach to Latin America, focusing on the dynamic connections between people, places, and environments rather than on pre-defined notions about the region. The book’s well-rounded and accessible analysis includes discussions of borders and migration; transnationalism and globalization; urbanization and the material, environmental and social landscapes of cities; and the connections between economic development and political change. The authors also explore social and cultural themes such as the illegal drug trade, tourism, children, and cinema. Offering a nuanced and clear perspective, this book will be a valuable resource for all those interested in the politics, economy, and society of a rapidly globalizing continent. Contributions by: Fernando J. Bosco, J. Christopher Brown, James Craine, Altha J. Cravey, Giorgio Hadi Curti, James Hayes, Edward L. Jackiewicz, Thomas Klak, Mirek Lipinski, Regan M. Maas, Araceli Masterson-Algar, Kent Mathewson, Sarah A. Moore, Linda Quiquivix, Zia Salim, Kate Swanson, and Benjamin Timms.

A Political Geography of Latin America

A Political Geography of Latin America
Author: Jonathan R. Barton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2002-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 1134828071

This book approaches the diversity of south and central America from a critical human geography perspective. It seeks to overcome stereotypes by stressing the need for an inclusionary political geography which cuts across traditional boundaries

State Building in Latin America

State Building in Latin America
Author: Hillel David Soifer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2015-06-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1316301036

State Building in Latin America diverges from existing scholarship in developing explanations both for why state-building efforts in the region emerged and for their success or failure. First, Latin American state leaders chose to attempt concerted state-building only where they saw it as the means to political order and economic development. Fragmented regionalism led to the adoption of more laissez-faire ideas and the rejection of state-building. With dominant urban centers, developmentalist ideas and state-building efforts took hold, but not all state-building projects succeeded. The second plank of the book's argument centers on strategies of bureaucratic appointment to explain this variation. Filling administrative ranks with local elites caused even concerted state-building efforts to flounder, while appointing outsiders to serve as administrators underpinned success. Relying on extensive archival evidence, the book traces how these factors shaped the differential development of education, taxation, and conscription in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.

Is Geography Destiny?

Is Geography Destiny?
Author: John Luke Gallup
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2003-08-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0821383671

For decades, the prevailing sentiment was that, since geography is unchangeable, there is no reason why public policies should take it into account. In fact, charges that geographic interpretations of development were deterministic, or even racist, made the subject a virtual taboo in academic and policymaking circles alike. 'Is Geography Destiny?' challenges that premise and joins a growing body of literature studying the links between geography and development. Focusing on Latin America, the book argues that based on a better understanding of geography, public policy can help control or channel its influence toward the goals of economic and social development.

The Oxford Handbook of Latin American Political Economy

The Oxford Handbook of Latin American Political Economy
Author: Javier Santiso
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 633
Release: 2012-05-09
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0199747504

Understanding Latin America's recent economic performance calls for a multidisciplinary analysis. This handbook looks at the interaction of economics and politics in the region and includes a number of contributions from top academic experts who have also served as key policy makers (a former president, ministers of finance, a central bank governor), reflecting upon the challenges of reform.

The Political Boundaries of South America Explained

The Political Boundaries of South America Explained
Author: Justin Henry Franco
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2017-11-11
Genre:
ISBN: 9781979625067

Modern South America is composed of 13 countries and it is home to a wide array of diverse environments. The seemingly arbitrary lines that define the political boundaries of South America, actually have an interesting story to tell. Rooted in geography, politics, and history, this book seeks to explore the history behind the borders in South America and explain the existence of peculiar territories. Features such as Colombia's panhandle with Peru, Chile's elongated shape, and Bolivia's two capital cities will be discussed in detail. While many of the political boundaries in the continent are undisputed, a few continue to raise tensions between neighboring countries, such as Venezuela's dispute with Guyana. As you go through this book I hope you enjoy the stories that contributed to the history of South America, and gain a new appreciation for the ambiguous shapes that form the geopolitical landscape of the region.

Latin America

Latin America
Author: Mauricio Tenorio-Trillo
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2017-04-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 022644306X

“Latin America” is a concept firmly entrenched in its philosophical, moral, and historical meanings. And yet, Mauricio Tenorio-Trillo argues in this landmark book, it is an obsolescent racial-cultural idea that ought to have vanished long ago with the banishment of racial theory. Latin America: The Allure and Power of an Idea makes this case persuasively. Tenorio-Trillo builds the book on three interlocking steps: first, an intellectual history of the concept of Latin America in its natural historical habitat—mid-nineteenth-century redefinitions of empire and the cultural, political, and economic intellectualism; second, a serious and uncompromising critique of the current “Latin Americanism”—which circulates in United States–based humanities and social sciences; and, third, accepting that we might actually be stuck with “Latin America,” Tenorio-Trillo charts a path forward for the writing and teaching of Latin American history. Accessible and forceful, rich in historical research and specificity, the book offers a distinctive, conceptual history of Latin America and its many connections and intersections of political and intellectual significance. Tenorio-Trillo’s book is a masterpiece of interdisciplinary scholarship.