“The people of Nicaragua suffered from oppression. This made us develop an awareness that ultimately led us to engage in the struggle against the domination of our country's capitalists in collusion with the United States government. (Daniel Ortega 1974) As has been discussed throughout the semester so far, many Latin American countries have experienced a political revolution in one way or another. In the early 1970s, Nicaragua joined the long list of Latin American countries that experienced a revolution when the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN), led by Daniel Ortega, succeeded in overthrowing the Somoza dynasty. Many people often have a misconception about what exactly a political revolution is and therefore draw incorrect conclusions about the effects that revolutions have on both politics and society. Nicaraguan politics provides a perfect example of the effects a revolution can have on a country. However, to fully understand the political and social effects of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua, two essential questions must be answered. First, what is the true definition of a revolution when it comes to Latin American politics? Second, what were the short- and long-term effects of the Sandinista revolution on the Nicaraguan sociopolitical landscape? Although, at first glance, the answers to these questions may seem relatively obvious, the truth is that they are both quite unique when it comes to Nicaraguan politics. Once these questions are resolved, it will become clear that the Sandinista revolution left an imprint on Nicaragua's sociopolitical landscape that may never disappear. Political scientists have long had an enduring fascination. ......sss frequently than the regional average of the other six Central American countries. In Nicaragua, about 80 percent of urban residents are registered to vote, compared to 96 percent in Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama. Additionally, in the early 1990s, Nicaragua also had a significantly lower percentage of people voting in political elections. According to the data presented, 80.1 percent of Nicaragua's population voted in the last elections, compared to 89.7 and 91.1 percent in neighboring Honduras and Costa Rica. These results undoubtedly support the distinctiveness hypothesis that the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua "left distinctive imprints on electoral participation, civil society engagement, and social capital compared to neighboring countries where no revolution took place.” (Richard 118)