Latin American Studies Commons^™

Democracy In Latin America, Democracy Everywhere, Jamie L. Mantilla Vale

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The obstacles that hinder democracy in Latin America are the topics of interest of this research. Loopholes within Latin American democratic systems of governance are a cause for concern, but also intrigue. In this research the specific loopholes and strengths of democracies in Latin America will be spotted and explained. More specifically, this research features a series quantitative method to help explain and evaluate the characteristics of strong democracies in Latin America as well as the characteristics of weak democracies in Latin America. A series of regression models show a causal relationship between rule of law and the overall democratic …

Recommendations For Sustainable Tourism In Patagonia: An Exploratory Analysis Of Sustainable Tourism In Costa Rica, The Nordic Region, And Thailand’S Communities, Julia K. Lowery

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores different levels of governance and its role towards actualizing sustainable tourism in Patagonia. With the growing threat of climate change, international destinations such as Patagonia are looking to continue building their tourism industries in a sustainable way. Through analyzing case studies of national governance in Costa Rica, multi-national governance in the Nordic region, and community-based tourism in Thailand, we can better understand how each form of governance has the potential to create a sustainable tourism industry. With this understanding of successful governance in my case studies, as well as understanding the historical and political forces that have …

Abandonados Por Los Estados Unidos: Migrantes Venezolanos Llenan Los Vacíos En La Comunicación De La Política Migratoria, Ingrid Piña

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El 12 de octubre de 2022, los Estados Unidos (los EE. UU.) cambió la política migratoria respecto a los inmigrantes venezolanos, sin previo aviso. “El nuevo proceso de control migratorio” extendió a los venezolanos la orden de salud pública debido al COVID-19, “Título 42,” que expulsa migrantes por cruzar la frontera y niega el derecho humano de solicitar asilo, y el programa humanitario“Uniting for Ukraine” por cuál han entrado refugiados de Ucrania desde abril de 2022. Efectivo inmediatamente, la nueva política puso en riesgo a los migrantes venezolanos ya en camino a los EE. UU. Entre los migrantes recientemente expulsados …

Framing Of Latinx Vote Choice And Voter Registration, Laurel E. Bennett

Student Publications

This work investigates media framing done by CNN between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Although Latinx voters remain underrepresented and under researched, they have the ability to highly influence elections. Specifically, CNN uses the sleeping giant frame, the need for Latinx voter registration as a frame, and the importance of Latinx voter mobilization as a frame in the 2020 presidential election more prominently than in the 2016 presidential election upon consideration of Latinx vote choice and voter turnout.

What’S At “Steak”: The Drivers Of Deforestation In The Brazilian Amazon And Potential Multilateral Solutions, Soleil Gaylord

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the contemporary drivers of deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and how multilateral solutions can be employed to bring forest loss to zero. Insights from the scholarly literature and five expert interviews allow a critical assessment of how the rise of unilateralism presents a novel threat to the Brazilian Legal Amazon and, by proxy, those relying on the region’s raw resources and ecosystem services. Integrating analyses of both Brazilian institutional structures and global environmental governance frameworks, this study examines the primary historical and contemporary factors driving accelerated deforestation rates observed under Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. In identifying …

Purity, Exclusion, And Political Order In Colombia, Osha Smith-Gittelman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the relationship between purity and order, and the ways this relationship informs and reproduces exclusionary forms of governance. The starting point for this analysis is the puzzling use of the language of limpieza social [social cleansing] as a justification for violence in Latin America. Such language is publicly disseminated by vigilantes, criminal organizations, paramilitaries, and other extralegal armed actors as a frame for violence against those presumed to be criminals, drug users, sex workers, unhoused, LGBTQ, or mentally ill. Much has been written on criminal and political violence in the region, but there has been less emphasis …

Oscar Romero And Juan Gerardi: Truth, Memory, And Hope, Scott Wright

The Journal of Social Encounters

Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and Guatemalan Bishop Juan Gerardi were prominent defenders of human rights during the civil wars that characterized their two countries during the 1980s and 1990s. By their public proclamations and prophetic witness, they laid the foundation for the United Nations Truth Commission in El Salvador, the United Nations Commission for Historical Clarification in Guatemala, and the Recovery of the Historic Memory (REMHI) project in Guatemala. Inspired by the need to dignify the victims of state-sponsored violence by refusing to forget, and accompanying the survivors in their struggle for justice, Romero and Gerardi were instrumental in uncovering …

Review Of Cachita’S Streets: The Virgin Of Charity, Race, And Revolution In Cuba By Jalane D. Schmidt, Gary Prevost

Political Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Damming Sustainability: How Social And Environmental Networks Influence The Construction And Management Of Large Dams In The Amazon Basin, V. Miranda Chase

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

,p>Dams are powerful structures that engender a flood of controversies. These projects face great criticism from numerous groups, many of whom succeed in influencing such enterprises. This research is an in-depth study on dam-related social and environmental movements in the Amazon: how they are created and internally organized; how members share information and resources, how they identify alternatives; and how they design strategies and implement agendas. Social movements include, but are not limited to, domestic and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academic researchers, journalists, religious organizations, grassroots associations, and large private foundations. They create formal or informal coalitions and design …

Inaccessible Interpolated Imagery: How Coffee Farmers In The State Of Chiapas Might Access Political Economic Opportunity Through Representation, Paolo Fiann Bicchieri

Master's Theses

Here is a useful parable to boil down the idea of this project and set the tone: when one goes to the bar to tell a story about a fight at the bar, they would never venture to place themselves as the hero of the brawl, taking out three drunkards in a single punch, unless they were really in the bar, at that time, fighting a good fight. One would never do this as the bartender, locals, and regulars would all know if this were the case or not. Yet transnational corporations, governments, and even consumers do this all the …

Reinventing Our Understanding Of The Left-Right Political Dichotomy: The Case Of Argentina, Sol Halle

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

What happens to a country’s political culture once populism takes root? Have Global North-centered methods of evaluation miscategorized Global South political party identification both historically and contemporaneously? As the world grapples with the continued rise of populism and its divisive rhetoric, scholars must thoroughly examine the movement’s spheres of influence beyond traditionally accepted frameworks. Understanding populist parties is vital, for they oftentimes create staggering disruptions within a nation’s political culture. These disturbances become starkly apparent in times of crises as challenges plunge everyday citizens deeper into the political sphere. The case of Argentina allows for an examination of the ways …

Why Renegotiation?: Renewal Of The South Korea-Chile Bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Montserrat Bugueno

International Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis project explores the motivations behind the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) renegotiation between Chile and South Korea. Existing studies have examined the reasons and outcomes of creating the initial Chile-South Korea FTA, but they have not focused on renegotiations between the two countries. A few investigations on renegotiations have focused on diversifying their exports and expanding their markets in each other's regions. However, most research lacks further exploration of both countries' market security concerns. By analyzing official government documents and conducting three semi-structured interviews with government officials and experts in the field, I argue that the current protectionist …

Contextualizing The 2019 “Chile Despertó” Movement: The Impact Of Historical Relational Processes On Mobilization And Repression, Tanya Leon

International Studies (MA) Theses

To expand our theoretical and empirical understanding of mobilization and repression in Latin America, this thesis asks three critical questions. Are economic indicators sufficient predictors of social movement emergence in Latin America? What other factors contribute to large-scale mobilization in Latin America? How do government’s respond to large-scale Latin American social movements? Specifically, when, and why do democratic governments choose to employ repression against social movements? Accordingly, I construct a quantitative model to test the correlation between rise in protest and worsened economic conditions. I apply it to a comprehensive dataset of political events in multiple South American countries throughout …

What Role Do Women In Politics Play For Democratic Erosion?, Emelyn Rodriguez

Politics Honors Papers

Research has found that women in politics are important for representation and women’s rights, but can women’s increasing involvement in politics also stabilize fragile democracies? This research analyzes the relationship between women in politics and democratic consolidation, asking whether and how women help consolidate democracies and prevent the erosion of democratic institutions. I show initial quantitative evidence suggesting that under some conditions, women in politics reduce the probability of democratic erosion. In the main part of the project, using a case study of the Dominican Republic, I take a closer look at the work women have done for a newly …

A Case Study: Socialism In Venezuela, Victoria Matlock

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Compulsory Voting And Corruption In Latin America, Jonathan Dumdei

Senior Honors Theses

Among modern democracies, compulsory voting (CV) is institutionalized most prevalently in Latin America. Latin American politics have a long, turbulent history, and governments in the region have some of the highest rates of political corruption in the world among democracies, especially electoral fraud. This study investigates the connection between these two phenomena. Secondary empirical quantitative and qualitative research of political and cultural behavior are analyzed according to a rational choice theory decision paradigm. Demographic, experimental, and theoretical data regarding the effects of CV laws are considered in light of possible incentives and disincentives for engaging in vote-buying. This study inductively …

War Over Measure: Latin American Cultural Policy And The Pedagogy Of Neoliberal States, D. Bret Leraul

Faculty Journal Articles

This article recovers the link between cultural and educational policy in Latin America to understand the neoliberal state’s discursive institution of culture as capital. It does so by studying the form and function of Mexican and Chilean cultural bureaucracies. The calculability and accountability of culture in Chilean cultural policy and the incalculability of Mexico’s culture of favor cultural policy are but two sides of one coin issued by the same neoliberal state form. Both depend on the discursive institution (from above) of culture as cultural capital and labor as human capital reflected (from below) in the formation of Latin American …

Narcommunication: The Messaging, Marketing, And Murder Of Organized Crime, Philip L. Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Criminal actors are widely assumed to maintain a low profile, exerting power through corruption, coercion, and clandestine networks. Scholarship that addresses public action on the part of criminal actors focuses almost exclusively on acts of violence. However, an ample empirical record demonstrates that criminal actors also communicate publicly to broad audiences. To better understand this practice, this project focuses on the phenomenon of narco-messaging in Mexico. The project asks: what do criminal actors say when they speak publicly, and why do they say it?

The core data for this project comes from an original collection of 6,178 narco-messages that appeared …

Si Los Demás Se Distancian: Acción Colectiva, Confianza Y Normas Sociales Para El Cuidado En Tiempos De La Covid-19. Análisis Del Primer Año De La Pandemia, María Antonia Chinkousky, Ricardo Pérez, Santiago Silva Jaramillo

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

Este artículo revisa la coyuntura del primer año de la pandemia del COVID-19 a la luz de las normas sociales y la prosocialidad. Para esto, nos acercamos sintéticamente a la metodología de bola de nieve para analizar una serie de experiencias e intervenciones de entidades públicas y privadas que alentaban comportamientos prosociales para evitar contagios masivos en la población en 2020, en el momento más inicial de la pandemia. Los resultados de estos estudios se presentan como recomendaciones para los tomadores de decisión y otros interesados en aplicar herramientas similares para crisis de salud pública. El texto finaliza recopilando los …

La Política Deportiva Ante El Reclutamiento Forzado: La Gestión Deportiva De Los Gobiernos Municipales Del Area Metropolitana Del Valle De Aburrá Ante El Reclutamiento Forzado De Menores En Tiempos De La Covid-19, Noreida Puerta Alcaraz

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

El presente trabajo analiza la gestión del deporte como alternativa de prevención para el reclutamiento forzado de menores en el Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (Medellín, Colombia) y su reinvención en el contexto del Covid-19. Sin embargo, pese a que es una problemática que afecta a los 10 municipios que la integran, se evidencia falta de coordinación y articulación de la política deportiva a nivel metropolitano para su intervención desde lo intermunicipal. La investigación utilizó un enfoque cualitativo bajo el método de la teoría fundamentada, cuya comprensión de los datos se hizo a través de la técnica de análisis …

Respuestas Iniciales Ante El Covid-19 Por Cuatro Gobiernos Centroamericanos, José Andrés Díaz-González

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

El artículo revisa las respuestas iniciales de los gobiernos de Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica y Panamá ante la pandemia del Covid-19. A partir de una revisión de documentos oficiales, se identifican y comparan las características de las respuestas que estos gobiernos ejecutan durante el primer semestre del 2020. Se concluye que, si bien los gobiernos desarrollan principalmente medidas de bioseguridad, hay diferencias importantes en las estrategias adoptadas por estos, posiblemente motivadas por las características sociales, política y económicas imperantes en dichos países. Asimismo, la incertidumbre y falta de información que se tenía en los primeros momentos de la pandemia …

Protección Social A La Infancia Y La Covid-19. Implicaciones Normativas E Institucionales De La Respuesta Del Gobierno De La Ciudad De México, Jorge E. Culebro, Janeth Hernández

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

El propósito del estudio de caso es analizar la respuesta del gobierno de la ciudad de México a la crisis derivada de la COVID-19 y, en particular, la forma en que ha afectado la protección social de la infancia durante los primeros meses de la pandemia. Se analiza diseño institucional normativo de la protección social a la infancia en México, y particularmente en la Ciudad de México, así como las actividades del gobierno de la ciudad de México para disminuir el impacto de la crisis en la infancia. Teórica y metodológicamente el artículo sigue la estrategia de estudio de caso …

Editorial, Nadia Rubaii, Maria Fernanda Ramirez Brouchoud

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Content

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Programas De Transferencia Condicionada: Aplicación De La Asignación Universal Por Hijo En Tucumán, Argentina, Javier Oscar Ghio, María Laura Giusti, Esteban Marcos Duhalde, Emilia Aranda

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

En la actualidad, más del 40% de las personas en situación de pobreza en la Argentina son niños/as y adolescentes. En 2009, se creó la Asignación Universal por Hijo para Protección Social (AUH) para hacer frente a esta problemática al equiparar los derechos de los hijos/as de los trabajadores/as formales con los de los informales y desempleados. Este documento analiza la implementación de la AUH a nivel nacional y hace foco en la Provincia de Tucumán. Busca relevar las problemáticas asociadas a la pobreza y la desigualdad. Se analiza el margen de acción que tiene cada jurisdicción subnacional: en general …

Análisis De La Regulación Y El Control De Los Servicios Públicos Domiciliarios Privatizados En Argentina Bajo El Período Kirchnerista (2003-2015), Andrea López

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

Este artículo somete a estudio las renegociaciones contractuales con las empresas privatizadas, prestadoras de electricidad, gas, agua potable y telefonía básica en la zona del ámbito metropolitano y Gran Buenos Aires (AMBA), así como sus regímenes regulatorios y el devenir de los entes de control respectivos, durante los mandatos presidenciales de Néstor Kirchner y de Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a los efectos de analizar el “cruce” o “tensión” entre las políticas “pro-mercado” impulsadas a partir de las reformas estructurales de los 90, las iniciativas primigenias de cambio de la institucionalidad regulatoria, las normativas finalmente aprobadas y las prácticas consolidadas -y …

¿Cuál Es El Sub-Régimen De Bienestar De Medellín-Colombia (2016-2019)?, John Alexander Carmona López

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

Esta investigación reconoce las debilidades del análisis de los regímenes de bienestar apoyado en las taxonomías nacionales y se propone una “variación a lo local”, argumentando los beneficios que se tienen al delimitar los territorios nacionales por sus diferencias regionales y sus distintas necesidades locales. En este sentido, se analiza cuáles son los modos para producir bienestar en Medellín entre los años 2016-2019, cuyos hallazgos demuestran que los organismos estatales asumen que los riesgos sociales son una condición exclusiva de algunos grupos poblaciones. Y, ante una desigual incorporación de los grupos marginados y ante una alta mercantilización del bienestar, una …

Transformaciones De Los Regímenes De Bienestar En Colombia, Bairon Otálvaro Marín

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

El artículo muestra el proceso de evolución de tres modelos referenciales de política social y de régimen de bienestar en los albores del siglo XXI en Colombia. Se acude al método de análisis cognitivo en políticas públicas, como estrategia para la construcción de datos, evidencias y argumentos que permiten describir e interpretar los diversos enfoques y tipos de política social implementados en contextos territoriales caracterizados por un aumento de relaciones de exclusión y desigualdad. Los resultados evidencian que los enfoques más desarrollados en Colombia son asistenciales, neo asistenciales (protección social) e inclusivos, miradas que han ido construyendo una forma de …

Un Enfoque Comparado Sobre Los Regímenes De Bienestar Para El Estudio De Las Políticas Sociales Globales, Geof Wood, Ian Gough

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

Beginning from the framework of welfare state regimes in rich capitalist countries, this article radically redefines it and applies the new model to regions and countries which experience problematic states as well as imperfect markets. A broader, comparative typology of regimes (welfare state, informal security, insecurity) is proposed, which captures the essential relationships between social and cultural conditions, institutional performance, welfare outcomes, and path dependence. Using this model, different regions of the world (East Asia, South Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa) are compared. For many poorer, partially capitalized societies, people’s security relies informally upon various clientelist relationships. Formalizing rights …

Editorial. Guest, Carlos Andres Olaya

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.