The fate of democratic governments throughout the world is a topic of growing concern. The crisis of modern history, from the Machtergreifung by Hitler through the downfall of the Allende government in Chile, have caused many to suspect an inevitable downfall of democracies. In a systematic review of the political experiences of Latin American and European democratic nations, these original and throught-provoking books propose a significant new comparative framework for understanding the dynamics of political change and the conditions necessary for democratic stability.