Political Leadership in Lat Am

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course attempts to take a systematic look at the question of political leadership in Latin America. Our principal concern will focus on to what extent this factor helps account for democratic performance throughout the region. The emphasis will be on how presidents have shaped their societies and have, in turn, been shaped by them. We will explore a variety of distinctive leadership styles and analyze whether policy agendas have been pursued through a democratic approach, or more authoritarian means. We will examine some specific decisions in both domestic and foreign policy as case studies to highlight presidential behavior and effectiveness.