The fifth edition ofUnderstanding Central Americaexplains how domestic and global political and economic forces have shaped rebellion and regime change in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. John A. Booth, Christine J. Wade, and Thomas W. Walker explore the origins and development of the region's political conflicts and its efforts to resolve them. Covering the region's political and economic development from the early 1800s onward, the authors provide a background for understanding Central America's rebellion and regime change of the past forty years. This revised edition brings the Central American story up to date, with special emphasis on globalization, evolving public opinion, progress toward democratic consolidation, and the relationship between Central America and the United States under the Obama administration, and includes analysis of the 2009 Honduran coup d'État. A useful introduction to the region and a model for how to convey its complexities in language readers will comprehend,Understanding Central Americastands out as a must-have resource.

Contents 1. Crisis and Transformation 2. Global Forces and System Change in Central America 3. The Common History 4. Costa Rica 5. Nicaragua 6. El Salvador 7. Guatemala 8.

Honduras 9. Political Participation, Political Attitudes, and Democracy 10. Power, Democracy, and U.S. Policy in Central America 11. Reflections and Projections.