The Failure of Presidential Democracy

With a superb cast of contributors and a well-chosen sample of countries, The Failure of Presidential Democracy treats a central issue in the world today, as more and more countries try to construct durable democracies. It also reflects the new emphasis in political science on institutions, an area that has been sorely neglected in Latin American studies. Indeed, the book fills a huge informational and analytical gap on institutional arrangements in Latin American political systems. This is a stimulating, thoughtful, and relevant book-well suited to classroom use in courses on comparative politics and Latin American politics. -- Paul W. Drake, University of California, San Diego

Brings together leading scholars to examine the question of whether presidentialism or parliamentarism offers the best hope for stable government and democratic continuity. This edition offers comparative perspectives.Citizens of the United States, heirs to two centuries of democratic government, tend to believe that presidentialism - rather than parliamentarism - is the political system that best ensures a stable democracy. In Latin America, however, where many governments have been modelled on that of the United States, presidentialism has had mixed success. In "The Failure of Presidential Democracy", Juan Linz and Arturo Valenzuela bring together leading scholars to examine the question of whether presidentialism or parliamentarism offers the best hope for stable government and democratic continuity.