Democracy, Authoritarianism, and the Politics of Accountability in Contemporary Latin America

Latin America has long been a critical testing ground for democracy. This course explores major historical and contemporary threats to democratic rule and the conditions that help sustain and strengthen it. We examine military coups, electoral authoritarianism, and other forms of institu-tional erosion, alongside processes of democratization and democratic resilience. The course also highlights efforts to hold political leaders accountable for abuses of power, human rights violations, and corruption, asking when these efforts succeed, when they fall short, and how they shape the prospects for democracy grounded in the rule of law.