CONTENTS -- FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES -- PREFACE -- PART I Introduction -- Chapter 1 Explaining Political Development in Central America -- Chapter 2 The Liberal Reform Period and Its Legacies: A Conceptual Framework -- PART II Antecedent Conditions -- Chapter 3 Liberals and Conservatives before the Reform Period -- Chapter 4 Routes to Liberal Political Dominance -- PART III The Liberal Reform Period -- Chapter 5 Radical Liberalism: Guatemala and El Salvador -- Chapter 6 Reformist Liberalism: Costa Rica -- Chapter 7 Aborted Liberalism: Honduras and Nicaragua -- PART IV Legacies of the Liberal Reform Period -- Chapter 8 Aftermath: Reactions to the Liberal Reform -- Chapter 9 Regime Heritage: Military Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Traditional Dictatorship -- Chapter 10 Conclusion: Path Dependence and Political Change -- NOTES -- SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS ON CENTRAL AMERICAN POLITICS AND HISTORY -- INDEX.