That a development gap exists between the U.S. and Latin America is obvious. When, why and how it came about is less obvious. Francis Fukuyama´s latest book, an anthology of essays entitled Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States, succinctly attempts to explain the gap by taking into account history, politics, economics, and institutional analysis.
Fukuyama, a provocative analyst of world affairs, published two pieces about Latin America last year. In this collection, he enlists as contributors historians and political scientists who are well-versed in U.S.-Latin American relations and regional issues. The authors pack their knowledge into very readable and informative papers that complement each other well.
Fukuyama establishes the framework for this anthology…
