The Fifth Edition of this highly regarded text has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the complex political and economic developments that have occured in Latin America over the past five years. The revision includes new introductory and concluding chapters, several chapters by authors new to the volume, and updated chapters on each country in the region.Wiarda and Kline emphasize the trend toward democratization, and democracy's problems, as the organizing theme of the book, covering pressing issues such as economic reform, globalization, political unrest, and the international drug trade. Wiarda and Kline organize their analysis around Latin America's distinct background and position in world politics and the world economy. They also describe patterns of political development, the dynamics of political behavior, institutions and public policy, and the constant tension between those who favor a political regime in keeping with the authoritarian past, and those who prefer a Latin American version of democracy. Read Less