Poor Peoples' Politics in Latin America

In this course we explore the contemporary panorama of social and political organizations in Latin America representing (or claiming to represent) the lower orders of society. These include social movements, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, and political parties, as well as the vast range of participatory fora in the region that purport to offer citizens a direct role in government decision-making. How do these different institutions seek to increase the political influence and better the lives of the excluded and marginalized, and how successful have their efforts been?