Reviews

“This book, a tour de force from an expert who clearly knows his field well, is one that goes out of its way to make us think about what we understand by ‘democracy’ and how we should view new manifestations in the ‘Third World.’”

— Antoni Kapcia, Professor in Latin American History, Cuba Specialist, University of Nottingham, U.K. Campus

“Arnold August cuts through the common propaganda about democracy in the U.S. and the supposed lack of democracy in Cuba. Where August’s earlier work on the Cuban political system opened a window to this forbidden island, Cuba and Its Neighbours deepens our understanding of Cuba’s participatory processes and shows how they have been shaped by Cuba’s revolutionary history.”

— Cliff DuRand, Professor Emeritus of Social Philosophy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland

“August’s latest book studies Cuba’s structures of governance including elections and the functioning of the state between elections. It greatly expands on his previous, extremely useful analysis of Cuba’s elections in the second half of the 1990s. This new book provides a much needed tool for accurate assessment of Cuba’s unique system of political participation and representation, through empirical evidence rather than through the customary second-hand interpretation. A must-read for anybody seriously interested in Cuba, and in the overall question of democracy and its practices.”

— Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir, Professor Emerita of Latin American Studies, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts

“This book offers a trailblazing perspective: democracy in Cuba is evaluated and described from within the system itself while comparing it with other experiences. The concept of ‘democracy in motion’ analyzes a creative process, demonstrating how Cuba is a social laboratory. In Cuba, as well as in some Latin American countries, participatory democracy is taking shape. Arnold August contrasts these experiences to the pretences of the U.S. model. Compulsory reading to understand Cuba and break out of the supposed supremacy of ‘the single outlook.”

— Claude Morin, Honorary Professor, Latin Americanist, Université de Montréal, Québec