This book is a remarkable contribution to understanding the dilemmas of democracy and governance in Latin America. With a rare combination of methodological rigor and sensitivity to the region’s historical and social specificities, Luiz César Silva offers a solid analysis of how institutional quality, political trust, and state capacity shape human development. He goes beyond merely identifying problems: he points to pathways, valuing endogenous experiences and peer learning among Latin American countries.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of sharing ideas and debates with Luiz César Silva. This experience only reinforces what readers will find here: his unique ability to articulate theory and practice with clarity, rigor, and originality. More than a solid academic work, this is an inspiring book that bears the author’s hallmark of intelligence, commitment, and intellectual generosity.

William Kratochwill, Ph.D. in Economics, Economist at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).