Wealth, Health, and Democracy
in East Asia and Latin America

a discussion with

James W. McGuire, Ph.D.
Professor of Government
Wesleyan University

Tuesday February 24, 2015
12:15-1:45 p.m.
Tinkham Veale University Center, Ballroom A

Why do some societies fare well, and others poorly, at reducing the risk of early death? In his award-winning book, Wealth, Health, and Democracy in East Asia and Latin America, Professor McGuire shows that the public provision of basic health care and other inexpensive social services has reduced mortality rapidly even in tough economic circumstances, and that political democracy has contributed to the provision and utilization of such social services, in a wider range of ways than is sometimes recognized. His conclusions are based on case studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as on cross-national comparisons involving these cases and others.

This program was made possible by the generosity of Ms. Eloise Briskin.

About Our Guest

Jim McGuire earned his B.A. from Swarthmore and his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Peronism Without Peron (Stanford, 1997) and of articles and chapters on Argentine politics and labor unions; Latin American social policies; transitions from authoritarianism; and economic growth, income inequality, and mortality decline. Wealth, Health and Democracy in East Asia and Latin America (Cambridge, 2010) was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2010 and won the Stein Rokkan Prize for Comparative Social Science Research in 2011. At Wesleyan, Professor McGuire is also a member of the Latin American Studies Program and a recipient of the Binswanger Prize for Excellence in Teaching.