Answer to Question 1
Answers could include crony capitalism, supergovernors, military actions in the Near Abroad, multiple election victories, shared authority with Medvedev.
Answer to Question 2
During the middle part of the twentieth-century, Latin America exhibited higher rates of natural increase, thereby leading to a more rapid growth in population. These rates, however, are declining; coupled with significant emigration, Latin America's population growth is likely to slow.