This course examines the challenges facing three of Latin America's largest democracies, focused around four main topics: social policy, representation of marginalized groups, crime, and violence, and environmental conservation. Before we address these topics, however, we review the actors and institutions that operate in each country. We discuss how political institutions in each country shape how policy is made and implemented. The course examines contemporary attempts to address each of the four challenges, and provides opportunity for students wishing to conduct research on related maters.