Even as several Latin American countries have regressed to authoritarian rule in the first two decades of the twenty-first century, elections remain permanent and vital features of the region’s political life.
Kevin Pallister provides an accessible overview of elections throughout Latin America, including formal electoral institutions, informal practices, and the behavior of voters and candidates. Through a wide-ranging synthesis of scholarly literature and sources, it offers a descriptive and analytical look at how elections in the region work, from the legal rules of the game to the final counting of the votes, and provides an even-handed discussion of its complexities such as electoral integrity, gender quotas, the role of social media, corruption in campaign finance, and how elections can be instruments of both democracy and autocracy.
This comprehensive narrative, from Mexico to Argentina, is complemented with illustrative examples, case studies, and data. By understanding how elections in Latin America work as flawed but indispensable institutions of democracy, students and other readers will enhance their knowledge of contemporary Latin American politics and the important process of democratization in the region.
By:
Kevin Pallister
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 228mm,
Width: 150mm,
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 395g
ISBN: 9781538189030
ISBN 10: 1538189038
Pages: 250
Publication Date: 27 February 2024
Recommended Age: From 18 to 22 years
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Table of Contents List of Tables, Figures, and Text Boxes 1. Introduction 2. Electoral Integrity 3. The Legal Framework of Elections 4. Candidates 5. Political Parties 6. Campaigning 7. Campaign Finance 8. Voter Participation 9. Voter Behavior Bibliography
Kevin Pallister is associate professor of political science at Bridgewater College. His research focuses on election administration, electoral campaigning, and political participation in Latin America. His research has also been published in International Journal of Press/Politics, Journal of Politics in Latin America, Latin American Politics and Society, Policy Studies, and Revista de Ciencia Política.
Reviews for Elections in Latin America: Campaigns, Voters, and Institutions
""Kevin Pallister has written a highly accessible and engaging introduction to the study of elections in Latin America. It deftly synthesizes what we know about the conduct of elections and campaigns, the strategies that candidates and parties employ to win votes, and how voters sort it all out at the ballot box. Elections in Latin America: Campaigns, Voters, and Institutions will fit well in courses on Latin American politics, comparative political behavior, and elections more broadly."" --Ryan Carlin, professor of political science, director of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Georgia State University ""This book offers a comprehensive overview of a central yet underappreciated aspect of Latin American politics: elections. The wide-ranging volume brings together topics such as gender quotas, campaign communication, party systems, and vote buying by focusing on the central theme of electoral politics that runs through them. An invaluable reference and an engaging text."" --Taylor Boas, professor and chair, department of political science, Boston University
