This study examines the potential role of the peasantry in the determination of political power in Latin America. Case studies of Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela illustrate that the framework of political change is of major importance because it is crucial in determining the properties of the political system to follow. The previous involvement of the "campesinos", landless farmers, and laborers is discussed in relation to organized group action and land reform. The case studies suggest that an authoritarian system is more likely to follow a violent revolution, whereas a more competitive system is likely to follow evolutionary change. (RL)