Understanding Central America : global forces, rebellion, and change / John A. Booth, Christine J. Wade, Thomas W. Walker.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Crisis and transformation -- Global forces and system change in Central America -- The common history -- Costa Rica -- Nicaragua -- El Salvador -- Guatemala -- Honduras -- Political participation, political attitudes, and democracy -- Power, democracy, and U.S. policy in Central America -- Reflections and projections.

"Extensively revised and updated, Understanding Central America: Global Forces, Rebellion, and Change, Fourth Edition explains how domestic and global political and economic forces shaped rebellion and regime change in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras from the 1970s. Providing the authoritative, comprehensive coverage required by students of Latin America, political science, and international relations, the authors explain the origins and development of the region's political conflicts and efforts to resolve them. Through this comprehensive textbook, students can explore Central America's political and economic development from the early 1800s onward as a background for understanding rebellion and regime changes in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This revised edition brings the Central American story up-to-date, with special emphasis on globalization, public opinion, progress toward democratic consolidation, and US pressures on political and economic processes. The authors offer a thorough analysis of how global forces act on these small nations. A useful introduction to the region, organized to facilitate classroom discussion, and a model for how to convey the complexities of the region in language students will comprehend, Understanding Central America stands out as a must-have resource."--BOOK JACKET.