Featuring the first in-depth comparison of the judicial politics of five under-studied Central American countries, The Achilles Heel of Democracy offers a novel typology of 'judicial regime types' based on the political independence and societal autonomy of the judiciary. This book highlights the under-theorized influences on the justice system - criminals, activists, and other societal actors - and the ways that they intersect with more overtly political influences. Grounded in interviews with judges, lawyers, and activists, it presents the 'high politics' of constitutional conflicts in the context of national political conflicts as well as the 'low politics' of crime control and the operations of trial-level courts. The book begins in the violent and often authoritarian 1980s in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and spans through the tumultuous 2015 'Guatemalan Spring'; the evolution of Costa Rica's robust liberal judicial regime is traced from the 1950s.

Comparing five Central American countries, this book explores the influences of criminals, activists, and other societal actors on the justice system.

About the Author
Rachel E. Bowen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ohio State University, where she teaches courses on comparative politics, American politics, constitutional law, and gender and politics. She has been researching Central America since 2002.


Book Information
ISBN 9781107178328
Author Rachel E. Bowen
Format Hardback
Page Count 302
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 550g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 158mm * 19mm