In Latin America the most important development of 20th century was the triumph of democracy. Latin America. Between 1900 and 1930 there were only three electoral democracies that lasted between one and fourteen years: Argentina … In Latin America the most important development of 20th century was the triumph of democracy. ABSTRACTRecent developments have raised new concerns regarding the prospects of democracy in Latin America, particularly in what are often defined, although not unanimously, as cases of competitive authoritarianism, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. During the past three years the Joint Committee on Latin American Studies has supported a working group on the state and public policy whose goal is to advance understanding of the new era of political authoritarianism that has recently emerged in several of the most industrially advanced nations of Latin America. With the exception of Fidel Castro's Cuba, the Western Hemisphere is now exclusively ruled by democratically elected leaders. DEMOCRACY: The Economic Roots of Unstable Regimes by Belén Fernández Milmanda. The report says that a majority of Latin American countries hold “free and fair” elections and are better ranked than their counterparts in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, but democracy in the region has stagnated. Democracies and Dictatorships in Latin America Latin America experienced a dramatic political change in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The governments of Cuba and Haiti are the lowest-ranked in Latin America and are classified as authoritarian regimes. Today, most countries in the region have established democratic institutions, and a return to full-fledged authoritarianism is unlikely. Latin America experienced a dramatic political change in the last quarter of the twentieth century. In Latin America, though, at least three pillars supported third-wave regimes. Huntington points out that three-fourths of the new democracies were Roman Catholics. For decades, Latin America’s troubled experience with democracy has served as a testing ground for theories on democratization and political regimes. The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes. But by 1995, all the countries in the region, with the notable exception of Cuba, were democracies or semi-democracies. Democratic institutions are facing stress throughout Latin America and experiencing serious challenges in some countries. Publication Date: 1978. Comparing Authoritarian Regimes in Latin America Insights from Higher Education Policy Daniel Levy Authoritarianism and Policy The concept of authoritarianism has proven extremely useful for analyzing the distinguishing characteristics of regimes that are neither democratic nor to-talitarian.' The idea is somehow confusing if we view this based on western political principles i.e. (Even if this might sound bold to some, there are some examples that might bring relevance to the claim. Democracy has come a long way in Latin America and we can draw encouragement from the region's historic rejection of military dictatorships and bloody civil conflicts (although the one in Colombia continues unabated). The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes. Today, most countries in the region have established democratic institutions, and a return to full-fledged authoritarianism is unlikely. ABSTRACTRecent developments have raised new concerns regarding the prospects of democracy in Latin America, particularly in what are often defined, although not unanimously, as cases of competitive authoritarianism, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Nor, contrary to findings in some of the literature, has economic performance affected the survival of competitive regimes. General support for democratic regimes and satisfaction with their performance weakened at the beginning of this decade. History of Latin America - History of Latin America - Latin America since the mid-20th century: In Latin America as elsewhere, the close of World War II was accompanied by expectations, only partly fulfilled, of steady economic development and democratic consolidation. ... approach to leftist regimes but otherwise left more We argue that structural variables such as the level of development and inequalities have not shaped prospects for democratic survival in Latin America. Yet despite the vast quantity of commentary (most of it hostile) on the matter by politicians, media pundits, and foreign policy intellectuals in the United States, almost never are the views of Latin …