Americas Quarterly

"Americas Quarterly" is an American policy journal founded in 2007 and dedicated to deepening policy analysis and debate on economics, finance, and politics in the Western Hemisphere. It is published four times a year by the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in New York City. "Americas Quarterly" has attracted contributions from leading figures in the region such as: Bill Gates, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Ricardo Lagos, José Antonio Ocampo, Richard Feinberg, Ira Shapiro, Guillermo Perry, and Admiral James Stravidis. Past issues have focused on Security; Corporate Social Responsibility; Poverty, Inequality and Social Mobility; and Immigration.

----

About "Americas Quarterly"

Published by the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, "Americas Quarterly" is a journal dedicated to deepening policy analysis and debate on economics, finance, and politics in the region. The journal was launched in 2007 to create a forum for the exchange of ideas. By providing a forum for the discussion of institutional reform and democracy in the hemisphere, AQ hoped to inform and sharpen policymaking; to deepen links in an expanding network of research institutes, NGOs, private corporations and policymakers; and to facilitate communication within this network so that actors in the Americas could better share lessons and provide successful models and examples of policy innovation, research and reforms. The journal in particular seeks to attract and to provide a platform for a younger generation of voices, including analysts, policymakers, technocrats, business leaders and social activists. Its editorial board includes former presidents Ernesto Zedillo, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Ricardo Lagos, as well as emerging scholars of a younger generation in the fields of economics and political science.The basic core of the journal revolves around two main sections: the feature analysis section, a collection of longer, analytical essays dedicated to a specific theme, and the main departments that appear in each issue. These departments include Interview; Panorama; Innovators/Innovations; Hard Talk Forum; Tongue-in-Cheek/Pen-in-Hand; Policy Update; Fresh Look Book Reviews; and Just the Numbers (see below for descriptions of each department.) In addition to the Feature section and the regular departments, each issue includes a close, in-depth look at events in recent news. As part of its effort to appeal to younger readers and reflect more modern graphics, "Americas Quarterly" also has a special chart/article in each issue. The "charticle" section provides a whimsical graphic depiction of a specific aspect of the journal's main theme. For example, the issue on poverty inequality and social mobility included a board game on social mobility, a loose adaption of chutes and ladders that drew from the variables associated with social mobility across Latin America. [www.americasquarterly.org/About.htm]

tandard Departments

Interview

In this section, "AQ" interviews a renowned analyst, intellectual, politician, or business leader on his/her views of a country or of the region as a whole, as well as difficulties, strategies and issues that the interviewee considers critical to political stability, economic growth and development. The interview section is a wide-ranging conversation, intended to serve as a platform for debate about policy success and innovation in the region.

Panorama

To keep readers informed of current research and policy-related events taking place in the region, each issue has a short section summarizing recent publications, conferences and research. It also spotlights cultural events, updates readers on developments in the realm of pop culture (film, sports, music), and includes a short travel guide that lists 10 "off-the-beaten" track activities for tourists, with a different city featured in each issue.

Hard Talk Forum

Each issue includes a forum in which two contributors present two opposing essays on a current "hot" topic.

Innovators/Innovations

This section highlights new innovations and emerging leaders. It features young (defined as under 45) political, civic and business entrepreneurs to demonstrate change and initiative in the hemisphere.

Tongue-in-Cheek/Pen-in-Hand

In an effort to provide a slice of thought-provoking humor, the journal features a sampling of some of the best political cartoons from the region.

Policy Update

According to the editorial mission statement of the journal, one of AQ's goals is to keep observers and decision makers informed on the status of policy reform throughout the region, and, by doing so, to spark discussion and debate. To this end, Policy Update is a regular section that tracks and analyzes a range of reform efforts and legislation in the hemisphere.

Fresh Look Book Reviews

The journal provides a fresh, unique perspective on recent works and serves as a bridge between policymaker and academic, business leader and government official, and across regions. AQ places a specific emphasis on reviewing books published in Spanish and Portuguese to help introduce some of the very good research that is occurring in those languages to an English-speaking audience.

Just the Numbers

The last page of the journal provides a quick look at the trends in the region through easy-to-read, graphically appealing charts and tables.

Editorial Board

*Fernando Henrique Cardoso
*Javier Corrales
*Ricardo Lagos
*Sylvia Maxfield
*Moisés Naím
*Patricio Navia
*Jorge Pinto
*Jeffrey Schott
*Ken Shadlen
*Federico Sturzenegger
*Ernesto Zedillo

Advisory Board

*Felipe Ardila
*Eva Fernández
*Maria Soledad Saieh G.
*Patrick Sloane

----

About the Publisher

"Americas Quarterly" is published by the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and is supported in part by grants from the Foundation Open Society Institute and the Tinker Foundation. The Americas Society and Council of the Americas are non-partisan organizations founded to promote better understanding and dialogue in the Western Hemisphere, working in collaboration to advance their respective missions. The Americas Society is a public charity described in I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3), and Council of the Americas, a business league under I.R.C. Section 501(c)(6).The positions and opinions expressed in the publication are those of the authors or guest commentators and speakers and do not represent those of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas or its members or the Boards of Directors of either organization. [www.as-coa.org]

----

References