First published 2011
Between 1998 and 2010, left-wing governments rose to power across Latin America in numbers never seen before. Steven Levitsky tackles three core questions about this political shift: what drove leftist parties to victory, how they actually governed once in office, and what their rise meant for democracy and development. His analysis spans eight countries, examining leftist governments in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Venezuela, plus Peru's populist party that governed from the right. Levitsky creates a new classification system for Latin American left parties and develops an original framework for understanding the differences between these governments. He explores whether public opinion truly moved leftward, why some countries elected leftist leaders while others did not, and how the left turn affected market economies, social programs, political participation, and citizenship rights. The book offers readers the most complete account available of this regional transformation and the variations within it.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, latin-american-literature, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: social-justice
Setting: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Period: 1998-2010
496 pages · Hardcover · Johns Hopkins University Press