Description
Book SynopsisNicholas Copeland sheds new light on rural politics in Guatemala and across neoliberal and post-conflict settings in The Democracy Development Machine. This historical ethnography examines how governmentalized spaces of democracy and development fell short, enabling and disfiguring an ethnic Mayan resurgence.
In a passionate and politically engaged book, Copeland argues that the transition to democracy in Guatemalan Mayan communities has led to a troubling paradox. He finds that while liberal democracy is celebrated in most of the world as the ideal, it can subvert political desires and channel them into illiberal spaces. As a result, Copeland explores alternative ways of imagining liberal democracy and economic and social amelioration in a traumatized and highly unequal society as it strives to transition from war and authoritarian rule to open elections and free-market democracy.The Democracy Development Machine follows Guatemala''s transition, reflects on Maya
Trade Review
"The Democracy Development Machine is a fantastic book. It’s exactly what political ethnography should be—insightful, analytically rigorous, ethnographically rich, and provocative." -- Jennifer Burrell, Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, SUNY-Albany, and author of Maya After War
"Nicholas Copeland has written a powerful critique of grassroots democracy. Copeland captures the complicated ways local allegiances work in practice; shattering romantic notions of community cooperation. This reveals much about Guatemala's troubled politics and enriches our understanding of the multifaceted, often unintended, effects of social action." -- Edward Fischer, Vanderbilt University
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: A Transition to Misery
1. "They Committed No Crime": Developing Democratic Memories
2. Nos Falta Capacidad: Training Enterprising Selves
3. The Capacity for Democracy: Transforming Democratic Imaginaries
4. Radical Pessimism: Neoliberal Democratic Atmosphere
5. Parties and Projects: Democratizing Sovereign Violence
6. Cruel Populism: Mutilating the People
Conclusion: Reorienting Democracy
Notes
Works Cited
Index
