Latin American Politics: Tradition and Modernization
in Tension
Syllabus
PLSC-2700-2
University of Denver
Spring 2015
Location: Sturm 124
Day and Time: Monday and Wednesday, 8:00-9:50 am
Office Hours and Location: M & W, 10-11 am, or by appointment (location TBD)
Instructor: Matthew Klick, PhD, [email protected]
Course Description
Latin American politics cannot be neatly summarized. The region, after all, is wildly diverse. It
consists of over 25 countries that stretch from the Caribbean to Tierra del Fuego, hundreds of
languages, an equal number of ethnic identities and cultures, autocracies and democracies, and
biomes that range from coastal and tropical to pampas and high altitude altiplano. In between,
countless historical episodes, pivotal figures and entrenched interests have risen and fallen, or
still hang around…There are nevertheless some peculiarities that are generally unique to the
region – an ardent independent streak wary of U.S. interference, novel concepts of economic and
human development, organized indigenous movements, and more sadly a history of military rule
and egregious human rights abuses. Each of these cut across many of the region’s countries.
Latin American Politics are, much like the Gabriel García Marquez novels that have come to
symbolize the region, magical in their own right, if not always pretty. This class explores some
of these major themes and their relationship to regional politics before tracing their legacy
through to modern Latin America – where today Maoist militia groups openly operate within a
democratic regime (as in Peru), where autocratic oil regimes (like Venezuela) discuss panAmericanism with indigenous presidents (like Morales in Bolivia), or from where emerging
powerhouses send their peacekeepers to international conflicts (as Brazil has), or host the
Olympics. Within Political Science, the approach will be a mix of comparative and historical
analysis with some consideration of international relations and political economy.
Some questions under consideration in this course include (but are not limited to):
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How do key historical legacies continue to influence regional politics?
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What are the historical legacies that are most important anyhow – colonialism, resource
extraction, class-consciousness and socialist movements, democratization or military rule
and free market reforms?
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What is the role of inequality and identity politics on regional development?
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What are the implications of mobilized non-state actors throughout the region – from
gangs to drug lords and Maoist revolutionaries?
1 Course Expectations, Structure and Assignments
Expectations
I have tailored the reading for a balance of insight and knowledge with readability and
engagement. You are expected to have read 100% of the assigned reading for the day in order to
be able to engage in our classroom discussions. The classroom experience will generally be a
mix of introductory lecturing by the instructor in order to highlight key ideas, but otherwise
seminar style in which you will be leading discussions, presenting reading reactions and working
with other students in order to analyze subject matter in detail.
Students will be expected to read, think, criticize, and form balanced arguments regarding the
topic. You will also be expected to write clearly and concisely on the matter for the purpose of
critical analysis as well as to improve professional writing ability. The goal is to learn more
about contemporary Latin American politics, along with a greater contextual understanding of
the region, as well as to broaden your understanding of applied Political Science.
Structure
The course is broadly organized across several topical “themes,” or broad subjects (see below for
details), under which we will compare experiences across several countries from the region for
the purposes of analysis. Readings will be available on Canvas as a .pdf, or hyperlink, from
which you can access the reading. There is no textbook for this class – all reading is available
through Canvas or online.
Assignments and Grading
All assignments shall be formatted with 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font and
single-spaced with spaces between paragraphs and appropriate headings, sub-headings, etc. Use
this document for reference. Bibliographic citations can take any standard formatting style, but
must be consistent and “full.”
1. Country Profile: 4-7 pages with info-graphics and references. In Week 1 you will join a
group and be randomly assigned a country from the region. In Week 3 you will present a
country profile, both orally and on-paper – consisting of a short narrative and key economic
and human welfare statistics, including 10-year trends. The narrative should focus on the
country’s modern evolution – the most salient political parties (PRI if studying Mexico, for
example), social or political cleavages (agrarian elites versus Evo Morales in Bolivia for
example, or President Kirchner versus the Central Bank in Argentina) and major current
events (The Olympics and their backlash in Brazil, or the FARC negotiations in Colombia).
These are broad brushstrokes at this point, as we will have a current events assignment next.
2. Current Events: 2-3 pages. Due Week 7. With your team, present the most salient political
or economic event preoccupying the public, or government, currently. This might be a
regional dispute, an anti-terrorist operation, an indigenous group’s protest, or an economic
crisis. Your job will be to frame the problem, isolate key stakeholders/actors and their
2 positions, and then analyze the problem through a context-sensitive lens that considers the
local political economy or political history. You can draw from class resources, though you
may need to read ahead, or outside of class, in order to best grapple with the analysis.
3. Policy Paper: 8-12 pages with references. Your policy paper (week 10) will build on the
previous assignments, culminating in a policy position paper that explicates your current
government’s approach to key overarching themes: a) Foreign Relations – regionally, with
China, and with the United States b) Economic Growth c) Security – with a domestic focus
d) Human Rights and e) Rural Development / Inclusive Prosperity.
4. Participation. This component consists of an evaluation of both your in-class participation
as well as attendance, combined. I realize that not everyone is an extrovert, and so I am not
grading on boisterousness, nor punishing shyness. But I nevertheless need an indication that
the student is engaged in the reading and assignments, and thus offers comments,
observations or questions throughout the quarter, or visits with me in the case of trouble or
concerns of any academic kind. All students, by the way, begin with full credit in this regard,
though it can be chipped away and subsequently lost over the course of the quarter.
5. Peer Evaluation: When turning in your final assignment, you will individually score your
group mates on participation and contribution from 0-5. Scores less than five will be used to
deduct points from individual contributions that were substandard. These scores are
confidential.
Everyone is granted two excused absences before point deductions begin. These “free” absences
need not be approved by me nor explained. Subsequent absences will be deducted from the grade
no matter the circumstance (except in the rare case of prolonged or serious illness). The
university policy regarding absence for religious observation is quoted below:
University policy grants students excused absences from class or other organized activities for observance of
religious holy days, unless the accommodation would create an undue hardship. Faculty are asked to be responsive
to requests when students contact them in advance to request such an excused absence. Students are responsible for
completing assignments given during their absence, but should be given an opportunity to make up work missed
because of religious observance.
Once a student has registered for a class, the student is expected to examine the course syllabus for potential
conflicts with holy days and to notify the instructor by the end of the first week of classes of any conflicts that may
require an absence (including any required additional preparation/travel time). The student is also expected to
remind the faculty member in advance of the missed class, and to make arrangements in advance (with the faculty
member) to make up any missed work or in-class material within a reasonable amount of time.
*Note* -- Please visit me during office hours, or contact me to arrange another meeting time, if
you are experiencing any academic difficulty, or have special concerns that you think will inhibit
your maximum potential. I ask this to avoid a situation in which a bad grade becomes
irreversible later in the quarter. If this is uncomfortable at first, or if the situation is more grave,
then please contact Student Services or the Political Science Department to speak with someone
who can help. Contact Disability Services should other circumstances make coursework unfairly
challenging. Without correspondence from Disability Services, I cannot retroactively excuse
things like missed assignments, poor grades, or insufficient participation/attendance, etc.
3 To summarize:
Component
Country Profile
Current Events
Policy Paper (w/ peer evaluation included)
Participation and Attendance
Quarterly Grading Total
Points
Total (oral + written)
20 (5+15)
30 (5+25)
40 (10+30)
10
100
Grading Policy
Grades for the course will reflect student performance using the following criteria:
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“A” is for exceptionally excellent work, clearly better than average and reflecting special
research and analytical skills, innovation, excellence, abilities, and effort.
“A-” is for very good work, reflecting strong performance on all course requirements and for
making regular and important contributions to course deliberations. Simply completing all the
assignments is not sufficient to earn an “A” or “A-” in the course.
“B+ to B-” is for finishing all the course requirements and doing a pretty good job on each of
them, or an average job on some of them and a first-rate job on at least one assignment.
“C” is for completing all course requirements without special distinction in terms of research,
writing, analysis, or presentation.
“C-” is for slightly substandard performance on all the course requirements.
“D” and lower is for poor performance and generally a “D” or lower in a course means that the
student is not progressing well in their program of studies.
Miscellaneous
We are lucky to have many on-campus events and opportunities to explore Latino culture and/or
regional political experiences. One resource to consider is this one:
http://www.du.edu/korbel/latinamerica/events/index.html
4 Week 1 – Introduction to Latin American Politics: Whom and What
Are We Talking About?
We start with some background. What is “Latin America?” What is valuable about its study?
And how can we as students of Political Science approach such a broad topic?
Class 1 (March 23): Background and Introductions
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Read: syllabus entirely and, as a group, answer all questions re: assignments
Read: “Jose Martí: The Martyrdom of the Liberator,” in Enrique Krauze (2011)
Redeemers: Ideas and Power in Latin America. Harper Collins: 1-21 (pdf)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/04/08/the-rich-arerunning-latin-america-and-why-that-matters/
Class 2 (March 25): Some Philosophical Origins of Political Thought
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Read: “Octavio Paz: The Poet and the Revolution,” (parts I-III, or pp. 119-140) in
Enrique Krauze (2011) Redeemers: Ideas and Power in Latin America. Harper Collins
(pdf)
In-class we will view: “Viva Zapata” (2005)
Group Assignments
Week 2 – The Legacy of Revolution: Peasants, Marx and Politics
What is the legacy of revolution in Latin America, and what are its origins? From the Mexican
Revolution (1910-1920) to the Cuban (1959), subsequent social movements, uprisings, and
contemporary cells of resistance, social justice – as well as its swift crushing by political elites
and caudillos – has an intimate place in Latin American politics. We explore how land, labor and
colonialism interact, and thus continue to shape contemporary policy.
Class 1 (3/30)
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Finish “Octavio Paz” document (pp. 140-154, 264-270)
Read: Chapters 1 and 2 in Wells and Johnson (1996) Summer of Discontent, Seasons of
Upheaval: Elite Politics and Rural Insurgency in Yucatán (e-reserve)
Class 2 (4/1)
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Chapters 1 and 2, and pp. 81-85, in Geraldine Lievesley (2004) The Cuban Revolution:
Past, Present and Future Perspectives.
5 Week 3 – Revolution to Resistance: Evolving State and Society In
Latin America
Populism, Peronism, Caudillismo, and the battle for popular support: Flowing from Week 2, we
continue to examine popular, political and social movements with lingering significance in the
region – with special emphasis on the Left-Right battleground for mass political mobilization, as
well as its revolutionary-inspired backlash. Oral presentations of Current Events plus written
assignment due.
Class 1 (4/6): Populism and Caudillismo: Ideological Battlegrounds
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Read: “Eva Perón: The Madonna of the Shirtless Ones” in Enique Krauze Redeemers:
Ideas and Power in Latin America. Harper Collins, 2011: 1-21 (pdf in Canvas)
Read: http://www.coha.org/the-president-wears-prada-the-rise-fall-and-misconceptionsof-cristina-fernandez-de-kirchners-presidency/
Optional: Roberts, Kenneth M. (2006) “Populism, Political Conflict and Grassroots
Organization,” Comparative Politics 38(2): 127-148 (pdf in Canvas)
Class 1 (4/8): Revolution and Resistance: From Sandinistas to Sendero Luminoso
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Read: Excerpt from Close et al. (2012) Sandinistas and Nicaragua Since 1979. Boulder:
Lynne Rienner (pdf in Canvas)
Read: Lefton, Douglas (1984) “Nicaragua: Health Care Under the Sandinistas,” Canadian
Medical Association Journal, Vol. 130: 781-784 (pdf)
In-class: Screening of Lucanamarca
Optional: Starn, Orin (1995) “Maoism in the Andes: The Communist Party of Peru –
Shining Path and the Refusal of History,” Journal of Latin American Studies 27(2): 399421 (pdf)
Week 4 – Military Rule and its Recurring Influence
From virtually tip to tail, most Latin American countries have experienced military control at
some point in their histories. These eras continue to reverberate through contemporary society,
sparking revisionism of past regimes in the face of crises – economic or political, and dividing
citizens between supporters and opposition come trials or truth and reconciliation efforts. This
week we explore the political implications of military rule, and transitions away from them.
Class 1 (4/13): Chile
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Read: Huneeus, Carlos (2007) The Pinochet Regime. Boulder: Lynne Rienner: Chs. 1 and
2 (e-reserve)
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Read: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/4-things-the-movie-noleft-out-about-real-life-chile/274491/
The recurring effects. Read: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-24014501
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Consider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRiJ7bYhFTc
In-class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6dRvmV2tU
Class 2 (4/15): Argentina and Other Cases
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Read: Thornton, Sally Webb (2000) “Grief Transformed: The Mothers of the Plaza de
Mayo,” Omega 41(4): 279-289 (pdf)
Recurring effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5ZhfmmpYz4
Discussion of other Cases: Guatemala, El Salvador and Brazil
Week 5 – Transitions to Democracy and Modern Politics
Not only the legacies of military rule (socially and culturally), but the transitions away from
autocracy themselves, have important implications for how politics operate today. The nature of
transitions to democracy shapes durable political settlements, bedrock institutions and statesociety relations. Latin America, given its grim history, has been a key site for examining
democratic transitions, consolidation of democracy and civil-military relations that have since
informed political scientists everywhere.
Class 1 (4/20): Elites, Pacted Transitions and Civil-Military Relations
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Karl, Terry Lynn (1990) “Dilemmas of Democratization in Latin America,” Comparative
Politics 23(1): 1-21
Silva, Patricio (2002) “Searching for Civilian Supremacy: The Concertatión
Governments and the Military in Chile,” Bulletin of Latin American Research 21(3): 375395
Optional: O’Donnell, Guillermo (1993) “On the State, Democratization and Conceptual
Problems: A Latin American View with Glances at Postcommunist Countries,” World
Development 21(8): 1355-1369
Class 2 (4/22): Institutionalism and Executive Leadership After the Transition
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Read: Mainwaring, Scott (1990) “Presidentialism in Latin America,” Latin American
Research Review 25(1): 157-179 (pdf)
Klick (2012) “Still Skeptical: Transitions from Military Rule and Perceptions of
Democracy in Latin America.” Unpublished Report (pdf)
7 Week 6 – Development Patterns: Modernizing Feudalism?
Development in Latin America has a sordid history, careening from elite-led agrarian reform and
state-led industrialization to “shock therapy” and liberalization. The region continues to wrestle
with the implications of each, and remains an ideological battleground. The region, in part thanks
to CEPAL as well as home-grown academics and revolutionaries, has also been a fertile ground
for progressive development theorizing. We will explore both the historical experiences as well
as important theoretical contributions to poverty and development.
Class 1 (4/27): Resources, Rentier States and Dependency Theory
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Weyland, Kurt (2009) “The Rise of Latin America’s Two Lefts: Insights from Rentier
State Theory,” Comparative Politics 41(2): 145-164 (pdf)
Frank, Andre Gunder (1966) “The Development of Underdevelopment,” Monthly Review
reprint. (pdf)
Optional: Excerpts from Cardoso, Fernando Henrique and Enzo Faletto (1979)
Dependency and Development in Latin America. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
Class 2 (4/29): Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI), and Today’s Outliers
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Hirschman, A.O. (1966) “The Political Economy of Import Substitution Industrialization
in Latin America,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 82(1): 1-32 (pdf)
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/01/what-hugo-chavez-built-thelegacy-of-latin-american-chavismo/267149/
Optional: Baer, Werner (1972) “Import Substitution Industrialization in Latin America:
Experiences and Interpretations,” Latin American Research Review. 7(1): 95-122 (pdf)
Week 7 – Poverty Reduction and Rural Development
The riddle of human development plagues the region still, but policy continues to transform –
sometimes led form within the region. We explore some the peculiarities of regional and
comparative development. Current Events assignment due.
Class 1 (5/4): Liberalism and Poverty Reduction Strategies
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Gwynne, Robert N. and Cristóbal Kay (2000) “Views from the Periphery: Futures of
Neoliberalism in Latin America,” Third World Quarterly. 21(1): 141-156
O’Malley, Anthony and Henry Veltmeyer (2013) “The PRSP: Poverty Reduction
Through Inclusive Neoliberalism,” in Henry Veltmeyer and Darcy Tetreault, eds. Poverty
and Development in Latin America: Public Policies and Development Pathways.
Sterling, VA: Kumarian Press: 143-162 (pdf)
8 Class 2 (5/6): Contemporary Challenges and Emerging Policy: Rurality, Microfinance and
CCTs
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O’Malley, Anthony (2013) “Poverty Reduction Programs and Rural Poverty,” in Henry
Veltmeyer and Darcy Tetreault, eds. Poverty and Development in Latin America: Public
Policies and Development Pathways. Sterling, VA: Kumarian Press: 117-142 (pdf)
Oral presentations in class. Written-work due.
Week 8 – Identity Politics: Class, Race or Culture
As you know by now, class politics has a special place in the history of the region, and has been
the source of conflict and policy. But what about the region’s history of colonization, robust
indigenous movements, and large Black populations? How do they influence politics and
organization? And is there such a thing as a regional “political culture?”
Class 1 (5/11): Political Culture in Latin America
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Booth, John A. and Mitchell Seligson (1993) “Paths to Democracy and the Political
Culture of Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua,” in Diamond, Larry, ed. Political Culture
and Democracy in Developing Countries. London: Lynne Rienner: 107-138 (pdf)
See: http://www.latinobarometro.org/lat.jsp
Optional: Seligson and Booth (1993) “Political Culture and Regime Type: Evidence from
Nicaragua and Costa Rica,” The Journal of Politics. 55(3): pp. 777-792 (pdf)
Class 2 (5/13): Race Identity and Indigenous Movements: The End of Class Consciousness?
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Yashar, Deborah (2015) “Does Race Matter in Latin America: How Racial and Ethnic
Identities Shape the Region’s Politics” Foreign Affairs. March/April 2015 (Available
here: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/143047/deborah-j-yashar/does-race-matterin-latin-america (note: you can only log in for free once, so please read in one sitting, or
access through the library’s online catalogue).
Prof. Klick’s reply in Foreign Affairs (short): link forthcoming
Read: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/land-reclamation-campaignby-indigenous-mapuches-scorches-southern-chile/2014/06/08/264f17dc-ccdb-4ec0-a815a80360b6f02a_story.html
In-Class: The Black experience in Latin America: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-inlatin-america/category/video/ (episode TBD)
Optional: Wade, Peter (2004) “Images of Latin American Mestizaje and the Politics of
Comparison,” Bulletin of Latin American Research 23(3): 355-356 (pdf)
9 Week 9 –Violence and Corruption
Despite a history of robust states with active governments, Latin America is also infamous for its
fraught state-society relationships and “ungoverned” areas. Non-state actors – from terrorist
organizations and narco-traffickers to indigenous leaders and gang members – continue to shape
politics and policy throughout the region. We look at the influence of non-state actors through
the prism of crime, while also exploring the topic of pervasive corruption, which resonates
hugely throughout the region.
Class 1 (5/18): Violence and (Dis)Organized crime: From State-Led Violence to life in Latin
America’s “Brown Areas”
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Carreras, Miguel (2013) “The Impact of Criminal Violence on Regime Legitimacy in
Latin America,” Latin American Research Review. 48(3): 85-107 (pdf)
Lopez, Julie (2011) “Guatemala’s Crossroads: The Democratization of Violence and
Second Chances” in Arnson, Cynthia and Eric L. Olson, eds. Organized Crime in Central
America: The Northern Triangle. Woodrow Wilson Center Report on the Americas No.
29. Washington: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars: 140-242 (a more
specific page range or an alternative chapter pending) (pdf)
Class 2 (5/20): Corruption, Patronage and Governance
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Altschuler, Daniel (2013) “How Patronage Politics Undermines Parental Participation
and Accountability: Community-Managed Schools in Honduras and Guatemala,”
Comparative Education Review. 57(1): 117-144 (pdf)
Corruption in Brazil: http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21646272-despiteepidemic-scandal-region-making-progress-against-plague-democracy
Optional: Klick (2015) Review of ‘The Promise of Participation’ in European Review of
Latin American and Caribbean Studies. 98 (pdf)
Week 10 – The Emigration/Immigration Experience
Despite a sordid political history with the United States in the region, the U.S. is also a source of
hope and inspiration for the poor seeking new opportunities, as well as a source of trauma and
disappointment. We look briefly into the migration experience before turning it over to your
presentations. Final Projects presented and due.
Class 1(5/25): Going North
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Read the 5 vignettes here:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/sinpais/photo_gallery_background.php?photo=1#gallery-top
Slideshow:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2015/01/15/nyregion/17NYIMMIG_ss.html?_r=0#1
Local Experiences: http://extras.denverpost.com/immi/aimmi2.htm
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FYI: http://www.slvirc.org/about.php
Read: Joe Biden’s Policy Response: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/opinion/joebiden-a-plan-for-central-america.html
In-Class: Sin País viewing and discussion (F869.S39 G827 2010 DVD)
Class 2 (5/27): Final Presentations
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No Reading
In-class: Final Presentations
Final Exam (6/1): TBD 11