Module description
This module provides a first approximation to the study of Latin American politics, encompassing a wide range of topics in international relations and comparative politics. Although intended as a survey of main political science debates, the module also aims to impart basic knowledge about the culture, geography, and history of the region. It therefore follows a chronological ordering of topics to answer questions such as (1) How did colonial history shape politics in the region? (2) How did current national states form and consolidate? (3) How did political regimes and political parties evolve in two centuries of independent history? (4) Why is Latin America, simultaneously the most peaceful region considering international violence, and the most violent at the domestic level? (5) Which are the main challenges to political stability, economic growth, and development? The spirit of the course is  to identify how Latin America can contribute to broader theories as well.
The module is divided into three parts. The first section looks at colonial institutions and state formation during the nineteenth century. This section will also cover the main causes of domestic and inter-state conflict in that era, and the origins of political parties. The second section will look at the twentieth century and focus on the role of the US in the region, democracy and autocracy, populism, civil-military relations, and the political economy of import substitution industrialisation, among other topics critical to the understanding of that era. Finally, a third section will cover more contemporary debates on competitive authoritarianism, criminal violence, protest, and the crisis of the neoliberal economic model, critical to understand Latin America in the twenty-first century.Teaching delivery
This module will be delivered through a weekly lecture and seminar, student presentations, classroom debates, private reading, and outlines/assignments. Reading lists will be available online via the UCL library site and the readings will be regularly revised and updated. Student support will be provided via lectures/seminars and weekly office hours. Relevant materials and forums will also be housed on the Moodle system.
This module aims to (1) Provide a context for application of previously acquired knowledge (in IR and comparative politics) to a specific regional context; (2) Think critically about the limitations of these theories when they try to explain Latin America and reflect upon how this region can contribute to enhance them; (3) Transfer basic knowledge about the region (i.e., its culture, geography, history, etc.); (4) Transfer basic knowledge about research design, data analysis techniques, and existing data sources that will inform the students’ analyses.
Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to: (1) Recognise current and historical topics which are central to the understanding of politics in Latin America; (2) Trace the evolution of the most relevant political science debates in the region; (3) Understand how a range of general theories (e.g., the dynamics of intra- and inter-state conflict, democratisation, development, etc.) applies to Latin America and identify their limitations; (4) Identify existent research networks and research projects focusing on the region, and (5) Identify data repositories with information about the region, as well as general methodological approaches to conduct research and evaluate theories on their own.Recommended readings
Centeno, M. (2002) Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America, University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Mainwaring, S., and Pérez Liñan, A. (2013). Democracies and dictatorships in Latin America: emergence, survival, and fall. Cambridge University Press.
 