"Coppedge has written what may well be the best book ever published on political party behavior in Latin America; it is extensively researched, methodologically sophisticated, tightly argued, and well written. . . . The author demonstrates a mastery not only of Venezuelan and Latin American literature, but also the major theoretical works on party behavior. . . . The work is particularly noteworthy in linking political party behavior to the wider political system, along with suggesting policy changes to enhance the quality of democratic government. But even more significantly, the book is bold and imaginative in the sense that it challenges prevailing scholarship on party behavior and undoubtedly will provoke controversy."—American Political Science Review

Michael Coppedge is Associate Professor of Government and International Studies at Notre Dame University