POL 321: Latin American Politics Fall 2010

Midterm Exam & Map Quiz Study Guide

The midterm exam and map quiz are worth 25% and 5% of your semester grade, respectively (for a total
of 30%). The exam is broken down into three sections: multiple choice (vocabulary), short answer, and
short essay. The points for the midterm and map quiz are as follows:

Map quiz 5 points (½ point for each correct identification)

Multiple choice 10 points (2 points for each correct answer)
Short answer 10 points (2 points for each correct answer)
Short essay 5 points

The combined exam and map quiz should take about 70 minutes. You are allowed one 5x7 index card
with notes (on both sides). I suggest spending no more than 15 minutes on the map quiz, 15 minutes on
the multiple choice section, 15 minutes on the short answer, and the remaining time on the short essay
section.

Map Quiz
This portion of the exam will ask you to correctly locate 10 countries, drawn from the following list:

• Brazil • Guatemala
• Mexico • Nicaragua
• Argentina • Costa Rica
• Chile • Peru
• Uruguay • Ecuador
• Colombia • Bolivia
• Cuba • Suriname
• Bezlie • Haiti

Multiple Choice
This portion of the exam will ask you to correctly identity the definition of 10 vocabulary terms, drawn
from the following list:

• corporatism • pluralism • bureaucratic-authoritarian regime

• caudillo • dependency theory • import-substitution industrialization
• clientelism • pacted transition • modernization theory
• natural rights • fueros • liberation theology
• populism • state capitalism • praetorianism
• social rights • haciendas • Washington Consensus
• cultural rights • mercantilism • code law
• economic rights • absolute poverty • double-minority president
POL 321: Latin American Politics Fall 2010

Short Answer
I will select five of the following questions for you to answer. Aim for about 2-3 sentences per answer.

1. Compare and contrast corporatism and pluralism as forms of interest group representation.

2. Compare and contrast Spanish colonialism in Latin America and British colonialism in the
Thirteen Colonies.

3. Compare and contrast economic rights and political rights.

4. Compare and contrast the case law tradition (used in the United States) and the code law
tradition (used in Latin America).

5. Compare and contrast the transition to democracy in Mexico and Brazil.

6. Compare and contrast the party systems in Mexico and Brazil.

7. Liberalism has a different history—and is defined a bit differently—in Latin America than in the
United States. Briefly identify two differences.

8. Blake highlights a debate over the merits of presidentialism and parliamentarism. Identify two
weaknesses typically associated with presidential democracy.

Short Essay
I will select one of the following short essay prompts for you to answer. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs.

1. Discuss how Roman and medieval influences shaped Latin America’s constitutional traditions.
Discuss at least one way each is different from the Anglo-American social contract tradition, but
also one way each is supportive of democracy.

2. In the United States, our politics were heavily influenced by the Anglo-American liberal political
philosophers. Latin America was greatly influenced by other, including Aquinas, Rousseau, and
the experience of the Roman Republic. Pick two and discuss how they shaped Latin American
political development.

3. Peeler suggests that Latin America’s history includes some “roots” for democracy. In particular,
he mentions “elite politics” and “popular resistance” as elements of a distinct Latin American
democratic tradition. Explain, discussing both elements.