Daniel H.Levine and Jose E.Molina (eds.). 2011. The Quality of Democracy in Latin America. Lynne Rienner Publishers. Boulder, Colorado (USA) and Lynne Rienner Publishers, Convent Garden, London (UK). 300 pages. Price: $65.00 (Hardcover) $26.50 (Paperback).

Abstract

Research on democracy in Latin America has changed drastically in recent years. The main topic used to be understanding the transitions within and the consolidation of democratic political systems. Once a society has tackled human rights concerns, the research agenda shifts to the study of the quality of political systems, including the operation of electoral and judicial institutions.How good is the quality of democracy in Latin America? Levine and Molina attempt to answer this question in their book, which also poses the related question: What is quality of democracy in conceptual terms? The authors offer the theoretical justification of focusing on the definition of procedural democracy (also called operational democracy), conceived as a system of representation with universal adult participation that follows transparent, equal rules. This definition does not leave behind the traditional liberal and pluralistic understanding of the political process but is centered on a more-practical point of view. A democracy requires a set of procedures and rights to function adequately. By analyzing compliance with these procedures, it is possible to measure the quality of democracy as a whole.This concept is the spirit of Levine and Molina's work. We have more quality in democracy if we can guarantee more rights and better political procedures. The question is, what kind of rights and procedures determine what makes up "quality of democracy?" Theoretically, the authors propose that certain conditions must be addressed: inclusive citizenship, free and open access to the political arena, freedom of information and organization, and formal and informal means of accountability.The book has 11 chapters. The first two discuss the quality of democracy and how to operationalize it. The authors also present the Quality of Democracy Index values for 2005 (although they use data from previous years for some variables) for several democracies in Latin America. The next eight chapters are dedicated to case studies of particular democracies such as Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Venezuela. The principal objective is to identify the weaknesses and strengths of these political systems and some of their idiosyncratic features. The final chapter contains conclusions related to the Latin