Latin American Politics Course

Background, organization, and structure of the governments of the various Latin American countries.

The news media in the United States portrays Latin American politics as characterized by violence and tyranny or affected by drug trafficking. Often, we accept such information without comprehending the underlying causes or the effects of these occurrences. To address these gaps, by the end of the semester, students should be able to:

• Understand central concepts used to explain Latin American politics. For example, what are the major social groups, institutions, and economic systems in Latin American countries?
• Be able to apply these concepts to understand the political dynamics of specific Latin American countries. For example, how does the changing nature of Mexican politics and economy create opportunities for drug traffickers supplying to the US to influence Mexican politics?