Which of the following explanations most likely accounts for Latin America’s failed transition to democracy, in contrast with the United States’ successful one?

The United States developed experience with self-government and peaceful transfers of power before and during its transition to democracy. Many Latin American countries lacked that same tradition, making stable democratic government harder to establish. The other choices overstate or misidentify the causes: the United States did not immediately grant universal suffrage, and Latin American countries did adopt written constitutions.

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