A great majority of those people who voted supported the existing presidential system. Nonetheless, some political trends may still be recognized. After years of authoritarian rule in many countries, a wave of political innovation is sweeping across Latin America. The Spanish, Portuguese, and French colonial rulers and their descendants enslaved and exploited Africans and their descendants for four centuries. Hopefully, this kind of research will make Latin American history even more Latin American in the years to come. They show that Latin American political history is much more Latin American than it was thirty years ago. Latin American Politics: the Graduate Level. Countries also renewed emphasis on exports. Brazil began selling automobiles to other countries, and some Latin American countries set up plants to assemble imported parts, letting other countries take advantage of Latin America's low labor costs. Latin American countries have increasing climates of discontent because of the lack The graduate program in Political Science has four major strengths with regard to Latin American Politics. All describe specific Latin American histories. Explain the structures of national governments in Latin America and the Caribbean 16 Terms. Nonetheless, some political trends may still be recognized. The peoples of this large area shared the experience of conquest and colonization by the The graduate program in Political Science has four major strengths with regard to Latin American Politics. Latin America single states political map. A 20th century model of government is slowly but surely giving way to more participatory and inclusive democracies in the 21st century. Peter Hermes Furian / Getty Images The most limited definition, and the one utilized in this article, defines Latin America as countries where Spanish or Portuguese is currently the dominant language. Forthcoming Cambridge Elements Series Politics and Society in Latin America. The decline in social and economic inequality registered in many Latin American countries since the late 1990s coincided with a shift away from the politics of market-based structural adjustment and towards a political landscape in which the social problems of poverty and inequality play a prominent role. In 1993, a popular referendum was held to choose among moving to a parliamentary system, returning to a monarchy, or keeping the presidential system. Latin American Summary. Transitions of political power in Latin America have become generally peaceful over the past three decades. The survey also looks at how institutions are perceived and how corruption has been developing in each country. Brazil, Cuba, Mexico. First, our program is based on the premise that scholars must combine advanced research techniques with a detailed knowledge of Latin American countries. This is a List of political parties in South America by country, linking to the country list of parties and the political system of each country in the region.