History weighs heavily on the global periphery, producing conditions in many countries that are inhospitable to both democracy and social justice. This chapter explores these historical burdens. While in the short term social democracy may not appear possible in many countries, contingent events and human agency can quickly and unexpectedly trigger the emergence of new paths. And although the burdens of history are indeed daunting for some, these challenges are not present in all countries – or at least not to the same degree. Hence, the discussion that follows should be read with a presumption of possibility. It should also be read with a sense of urgency, in view of the failure of neoliberalism and the specter of political and criminal violence in an increasing number of countries.

The pursuit of social democracy usually demands a major departure from past political practices. It requires the creation of a new politics that promotes participatory democracy, challenges the special privileges of powerful groups, and builds a class compromise supportive of social justice. Yet in most southern countries, various forms of authoritarian rule followed the termination of colonial domination, and there was little in the way of demonstrated commitment to improve the lot of the poor. While the advent of the “third wave” of democracy in the 1980s and 1990s represented a substantial improvement over the prevalent military and one-party dictatorships, the inadequacies of new democracies are now widely recognized.