In this session, we examine the emergence of capitalism in Latin America from an “inside out” approach that analyzes how governments and domestic institutions shaped global development. We show how Latin America was an important participant in, not a merely a passive recipient of, global interactions. We ask how international, global, and transnational approaches contribute to our scholarly understanding of the region. How did Latin American policy makers and economic actors shape and adapt international ideas and institutions to local conditions? What were advantages of the importations to domestic innovation, growth and development? More importantly, how did Latin America’s embrace of globalization and adaptation of international institutions in turn shape global, industrial, commercial, and financial exchanges? We answer by framing these questions within three categories: (1) the state and legal institution; (2) technologies and intellectual property rights; and (3) government finance and monetary policies.