Legislatures and the new democracies in Latin America

"What role will legislatures have in the efforts to consolidate democracy in Latin America? Seven case-studies (Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay) focus on 'the conditions under which legislatures work in Latin America's transitional polities.' Needler suggests that the current trend toward democratic rule - 'the most democratic in Latin American history' - may usher in a greater role for legislatures in promoting governments free of military intervention, authoritarian dictatorships, and intrusive US foreign policymaking. Legislatures now merit much more attention than in past studies of government and politics"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.