During the past decades Latin American countries have initiated a process of social, economic, cultural and political reform. Authoritarian regimes were transformed into democracies with elected and decentralized governments. State intervention was replaced by market oriented economic policies. Countries opened their doors to foreign capital and signed agreements of economic integration with northern and southern partners. This course will introduce students to the historical underpinning of the transformative changes taking place today in Latin America. Topics will include economic reform, democratic consolidation and reform, regional integration, competing models of social and political change, and the international insertion of the region.

  To:

• gain an understanding of the trajectory and continuities in Latin American development;
• gain an understanding of the interconnected nature of Latin America's varied political and economic challenges and successes;
• have an extended introduction to key issues and major country case studies;
• complete a research project on an issue related to the core course material using a regional country as a case study.

2,500 essay (40%); two 500-750 word briefing memoranda on course content (2x15%); final formal exam (30%)

Two lectures and one tutorial per week.

Pre-requisite: two first year courses in Political Science

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