Journal article by Juan Pablo Luna, Maria Victoria Murillo, and 2009 DPDF Revitalizing Development Studies and 2014 DPDF State Building and Governance in Retrospect and Prospect co-director Andrew Schrank in Latin American Politics and Society.

This brief article is designed to highlight an unfortunate discrepancy in the field of Latin American political economy. The field’s raison d’être has never been more compelling. Latin American societies have simultaneously been experiencing profound transformations—including democratic consolidation, demographic transition,and the growth of identity politics—and a palpable sense of déjà vu animated by the recovery of commodity prices and the return of populism. In a nutshell, the region is undergoing a deep economic transformation, which takes place in the context of unprecedented levels of political participation.