Timely lessons from Colombia on the coexistence of civil democracy and political violence in the context of international affairs and institutional reform

Colombia has one of the oldest electoral democracies in the Western Hemisphere despite endemic political violence. In this long-awaited, indispensable study, author Steven Taylor argues that understanding of Colombia’s political development in turn requires understanding the evolution of its political parties and its electoral rules. This book deals both with the specifics of the Colombian case and with questions concerning how electoral reform and institutional change interact with the behavior of political actors. Broader implications for the study of civil democracy in an atmosphere of political violence around the world today are clear and have never been more relevant.

STEVEN L. TAYLOR is associate professor of Political Science at Troy University and is an expert on Colombian politics.

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