Seeking the political role of the third government branch

ISBN-13: 9783836499576 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 328 str.

Elena Martnez Barahona

Opis

Until recently, Courts were not an importantcomponent of political science research on Latin America. The quantity ofresearch on the judiciary does not compare even remotely to the vastliterature on others institutions. However, despite the relativeinattention to their role, courts are institutions whose performance hasconcrete and relevant effects on the socio-political system.Indeed, Courts have currently emerged as active participants in thepolitical process offering new opportunities to citizens, socialmovements, interest groups, and politicians. Focusing on three countries of Central America (CostaRica, Nicaragua and Guatemala), this book illustrates howfar the political system in these countries is shaped in significantways by the role of Courts as political institutions. Throughout acomparative approach, this study offers what may be the firstcross-national analysis explicitly designed to serve as a comprehensivemeasure of the political role of High Courts.

O autorze

PhD. in Social and Political Science (European University
Institute, Florence-Italy). She works as Political Science
Professor at the University of
Salamanca and as research member of the Iberoamerican Institute
(University of
Salamanca). She is specialist about judicial politics in Latin
America.