Transitions and changes in Europe in the 80s and 90s [antikvár]

ATTILA ÁGH:THE "COMPARATI VE REVOLUTION" AND THE TRANSITIONS IN CENTRALAND SOUTHERN EUROPEI. Democratic transitions - the first step: Latin AmericaSince the late 1970s the democratic transitions in LatinAmerica (and later on Southern Europe) have given a new impulseto the "Comparative Revolution" in political science. Withinthis framework the most important initiative was launched by TheWoodrow Wi Ison International Center (Washington) in 1977 tostudy the parallel developments in Latin American and SouthernEurope. These two regions have been connected not only by thesame historical and cultural heritage but alsó with veryintensive economic and social ties. The result of thisinternational effort for comparative research was a four-volumebook in 1986," Trans i t i ons__lLom__Au t ho r i t a r i an_R u J_ e p u b I i s h e dalsó in one-volume edition as Prospect s_for Democracy. This bookis still the most eminent guide in the comparative research ofdemocratic transitions, and with somé other results and/or withthe continued efforts of the same research team, it anables usto outline the major features of the democratic transitions of1the two European regions, Southern and Central Europe as weI I .Latin America is not the focus of interest for most of us in these two European regions. Yet it is an obligatory point of departure for alI of us, because the most important achievements of the theory of transitions have been reached in this context. One should not forget that for the United States Latin America is by far the most important region and this concern appears alsó in research efforts and sponsorship as weII. This is why the "Iat in-amer i cani sat i on" of the comparative research of