New Americas Quarterly on Social Inclusion to be Released

The term “social inclusion” is generating a lot of buzz these days. It comprises a wide range of things: not just the reduction of economic inequality, but also civil and political rights, greater political representation and voice for minorities, and access to public and private goods. The latest issue of Americas Quarterly, to be released on Thursday, April 26, explores the many facets of social inclusion, recognizing advances that have been made in democracy, civil and human rights, and poverty alleviation, while acknowledging collective challenges that lie ahead.

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The Spring 2012 AQ features reflections by former President Bill Clinton on Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and the civil rights movement in the U.S., alongside 20 other heroes of social inclusion from across the hemisphere as part of a special photo and essay series. They include Aura Dalia Caicedo, a defender of Afro-Colombian women’s rights; former Mexican Secretary of Health Julio Frenk, the driving force behind Mexico’s universal health care program; and U.S. immigrants’ rights activist Helen Rivas. The issue also unveils AQ’s first-ever Social Inclusion Index. The index includes measures of income per capita, access to education, access to adequate housing, political and civil freedoms, and government responsiveness and personal empowerment, measuring 11 countries in each of these variables and ranking them.

In other articles, authors address specific hurdles to inclusion: Javier Corrales of Amherst College discusses the LGBT movement in Latin America, and José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs of the International Labour Organization focuses on youth unemployment. Finally, this issue reminds us that social inclusion requires both economic development and a proactive state; Harvard economist Dani Rodrik describes how developing countries must enter the global economy to lift their people out of poverty, while Juan Pablo Jiménez of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean explains how states’ fiscal and tax policies can promote inclusion.

Release Date: April 26, 2012

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In This Issue:

FEATURE SECTION

Under the Volcano
HAUKE HARTMANN and DANIEL SCHRAAD-TISCHLER
When do inequality and economic frustration erupt into political turmoil?

Global Poverty Amid Global Plenty
DANI RODRIK
To lift their people out of poverty, nations need to enter the global economy.

A Question of Transparency
NORA LUSTIG
It’s time to measure the income share of Latin America’s super-rich.

LGBT Rights in the Americas
JAVIER CORRALES
Latin America is a pioneer in gay rights, but popular attitudes lag behind.

The Politics of Inclusion
NINA AGRAWAL, RICHARD ANDRÉ, RYAN BERGER, and WILDA ESCARFULLER
Do more Indigenous and Afro-descendant representatives in national congresses make a difference?

Generation Ni/Ni
JOSÉ MANUEL SALAZAR-XIRINACHS
Latin America’s unemployed youth.

CHARTICLE: The Social Inclusion Index
A new AQ feature measures, tracks and compares social inclusion in the Americas.

Race and Ethnicity: Numbers Matter
JUDITH MORRISON
Why smart policies require better data.

Crossing the Digital Divide
MARK WARSCHAUER
Wider access to computers in schools is no magic bullet.

Tax Reform
JUAN PABLO JIMÉNEZ and ISABEL LÓPEZ AZCÚNAGA
The next step in improving equity is progressive taxation.

The Dream Deferred
MARCELO M. SUÁREZ-OROZCO
Children are the unwitting victims of exclusionary policies toward immigrants.

AQ UPFRONT

Keeping Them Honest
RUBÉN M. PERINA
The OAS needs to strengthen its election observer missions.

The FTA Spaghetti Bowl
JOSÉ RAÚL PERALES
The hemisphere’s Free Trade Agreements—and how to untangle them.

DEPARTMENTS

Panorama: Costa Rica’s Roller Derby, Ciné Institute in Haiti, Wine Tours in Chile, Ten Things To Do in Punta Del Este, and more.

Policy Updates: Francisco Resnicoff and Gabi Huesca on Argentina’s shale gas revolution. Renato Opice Blum and Paulo Sá Elias on e-commerce regulation in Brazil.

Fresh Look Reviews: Joydeep Mukherji on Hal Weitzman’s overview of recent U.S.-Latin American relations. Barry Ames on municipal elections in Brazil.