Inequality in Latin America

Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. This fact speaks to two different issues. On the one hand, the level of poverty and underdevelopment, although very important, does not reach the level encountered in many African countries. On the other hand, the great inequality existent in the region--the poor distribution of resources, so that some people have very little, and others have much, much more--lies behind many of the legal and political problems the countries in the region have faced, are facing, and will face in the future. Furthermore, despite some advances in reducing poverty, inequality is actually growing worse.

We will read a text by Terry Karl that analyzes these problems in terms of a continuing cycle of inequality, by which political and economic power reinforce each other, making exclusion and poverty an endemic problem in Latin America. We will also read a text by Oxhorn that analyzes the progress of citizenship in Latin America, especially in the twentieth century. Many of the problems we analyze in future units are derived from or somehow related to the problems of inequality and poverty. This leaves us with an important question: if inequality is one of the causes of the democratic and legal deficiencies of the region, and it is getting worse, not better, what are the prospects for improving democracy and the rule of law over the long term?

• Reading 1: Oxhorn - "Social Inequality, Civil Society, and the Limits of Citizenship in Latin America" (.pdf)
  • Study Questions
  • GRAPH: Share of Population Below Poverty Line in Latin America
  • GRAPH: Oxhorn's Levels of Rights in Latin America from 1850 - 2000
  • AUDIO: NPR Report on São Paulo (.wma)
• Reading 2: Karl - "The Vicious Cycle of Inequality in Latin America" (.pdf)
  • Study Questions
  • Explanation of the GINI index of inequality
  • GRAPH: How Latin America compares to other regions of the world in terms of income inequality
  • GRAPH: How Latin American countries compare to each other in terms of income inequality
  • Difference between Gini coefficients and income polarization
  • World Bank Inequality Report (.pdf)
• Country Profile: Brazil