Handbook of Political Science Research on Latin America

The volume offers a rich synthesis of political science research on Latin America over the past 30 years and offers a wealth of information to anyone interested in the area--from the beginning student to the area specialist. . . . The volume is an impressive achievement and will not outdate soon. Library Journal (starred review)

This handbook offers the reader a rich synthesis of the political science research on the Latin American region over the past thirty years. It reviews published books, articles, and government documents in addition to a few select doctoral dissertations. Sixteen contributors participated in the making of this volume, all of whom have lived and done field work in Latin America and the Caribbean and have studied and taught about Latin America. The starting date of 1960 was chosen because that year coincided with the rapid growth of research on Latin America, spurred by the Cuban Revolution and the Alliance for Progress.

The handbook is divided into two main sections: comparative politics and international relations. Within each section are chapters on specific countries of interest or on general topics or areas. Appendixes (which include a selected bibliography and a listing of major research centers in Latin America and the Caribbean) and indexes follow the main body of the book. This book should be of great value to anyone interested in the history and methodology of political science research on Latin America and the Caribbean. Specialists from other areas of study will also find this volume's information invaluable. Beginning students of Latin American history and politics will find this work a comprehensive review of the field over the past three decades.

DAVID W. DENT is Professor of Political Science at Towson State University, Maryland. He is the author of Recent Trends in Political Science Research on Latin America, Latin American Research Review (1986), and articles or chapters in Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Latin American Studies, and Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties.