The coup trap in Latin America / Fabrice Lehoucq.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lehoucq, Fabrice Edouard, 1963- Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political stability--Latin America.

Political stability.

Coups d'état--Latin America.

Coups d'état.

Latin America--Politics and government--20th century.

Latin America.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 294 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2026.

Summary:

Why do governments get overthrown? Why are many political systems chronically unstable? The Coup Trap in Latin America answers these questions by looking to the origins and dynamics of the military coup d'état that, since the late nineteenth century, have turned several Latin American political systems into some of the most unstable in the world. The book also explores how others escaped from chronic instability, either by constructing constitutional democracy (in Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay) or by establishing durable autocracies (in Mexico and Nicaragua). The Coup Trap in Latin America pioneers the use of statistical predictions to explain when military coups do and do not occur - and uses historical narratives to illustrate and develop these findings. The book provides an innovative explanation of the unconstitutional seizure of power, making it a valuable resource for political scientists, historians, sociologists, and readers interested in Latin American politics and history.

Contents:

Introduction. On chronic instability

The Latin American political landscape

Why political systems fall in and out of the coup trap

Statistical tests of the theory

Predictions and case studies

Why instability persists

Golpes and contra golpes

Breaking out is hard to do

Trial by fire

Conclusions. On the rise and fall of the coup trap.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 15 May 2026).

ISBN:

1-009-74999-4

9781009749985

9781009750011