Matthew R. Cleary

Explaining the Left's Resurgence

Abstract:The resurgence of leftist parties in recent Latin American elections is best understood as a regional wave, in which extreme socioeconomic inequality has generated broad support for leftist candidates in many countries, while international factors including the diffusion of democratic norms and increased economic integration have encouraged moderation among both leftist governments and their traditional antagonists. This leftward shift in electoral politics will most likely be an enduring feature of Latin Americas democratic future.

Democracy and Indigenous Rebellion in Latin America

This article investigates the structural causes of ethnic rebellion among the indigenous populations of Latin America. It aims to fill three important gaps in the current understanding of ethnic violence. First, the articles geographical focus brings a broad theoretical literature to a region with which it has had little experience. Second, the article acknowledges and incorporates Fearon and Laitins argument that theories of ethnic violence should also explain instances of peace and cauterization. Third, the article offers evidence suggesting that democracy reduces the probability of rebellion. This and competing hypotheses are evaluated qualitatively with evidence gathered from secondary sources and historiographical accounts and, quantitatively, with Ted Robert Gurrs Minorities at Risk Phase III Dataset. Based on the finding that regime type is a strong predictor of ethnic violence in Latin America, the author calls for a reevaluation of the link between regime type and violent political behavior.

Book Review: Judicial Power and Strategic Communication in Mexico

Brehm, J., & Gates, S. (1997). Working, shirking and sabotage: Bureaucratic response to a democratic public. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Lott, J. R., & Reed, W. R. (1989). Shirking and sorting in a political market with finite-lived politicians. Public Choice, 61, 75-96. Riker, W. (1982). Liberalism against populism: A confrontation between the theory of democracy and the theory of social choice. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.