Latin American Politics

Course Description

This course examines the political forces that have shaped Latin America over the past two centuries, with attention to state formation, violence, democratization, and citizenship. It is organized thematically around scholarly debates rather than country-by-country surveys. Students engage paired texts offering competing interpretations of key political phenomena.

Learning Objectives

• Identify competing explanations for political phenomena, evaluate arguments and evidence, and assess which theories best account for empirical patterns in Latin American politics.
• Examine how Latin American societies have grappled with weak state capacity, endemic violence, persistent inequality, and contested democracy.
• Critically assess scholarly work: core arguments, evidence, alternative explanations, and scope conditions. Apply these skills to construct and defend original research arguments.

Requirements

Component	Weight
Participation	20%
Midterm Exam	25%
Final Exam	25%
Research Paper (10–12 pages)	30%

Research Paper Milestones

Date	Task
February 17	Research question and justification (1 page)
March 3	Annotated bibliography (5 sources)
March 24	Evidence strategy memo (2 pages)
April 14	Argument draft (5 pages) — peer review
April 28	Introduction draft (3–4 pages) — peer review
May 7	Final paper due

Topics

1. Development and colonial legacies
2. Colonial institutions and inequality
3. State formation: war and extraction
4. State capacity: taxation and authority
5. State reach and infrastructural power
6. Weak states and informal governance
7. Cold War, intervention, and revolutionary movements
8. Counterinsurgency and state repression
9. Transitions to democracy
10. Democratic erosion and backsliding
11. Populism and political representation
12. Corruption and accountability
13. Transitional justice and human rights
14. Social movements and inclusive citizenship