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consequences of conditioned democracy promotion by the United States in Latin America
- Date Issued:
- 2009
- Summary:
- Democracy promotion is an important tenet of United States foreign policy. However, U.S. democracy promotion efforts are conditioned by geopolitical concerns, economic goals, and security interests. This thesis analyzes the impact of U.S. foreign policy in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Evidence from these cases suggests that United States foreign policy has contributed to the growth of unhealthy or pseudo-democracies in Latin America because frequently the policy reinforces the political and economic power of entrenched elites or the military. These groups, whose interests more closely align with U.S interests, are often uncommitted to supporting policy that promotes human rights and equitable distribution of wealth and power or that demands universal political liberties. Democracy is promoted rhetorically rather than in practice, and consequently is unresponsive and illegitimate. Future democracy promotion efforts by the United States, if they are to be successful, must overcome this illegitimacy by compensating for the conflicts that conditioned democracy produces.
Title: | The consequences of conditioned democracy promotion by the United States in Latin America. |
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Name(s): |
Walsh, Kelly. Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College |
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Type of Resource: | text | |
Genre: | Thesis | |
Issuance: | multipart monograph | |
Date Issued: | 2009 | |
Publisher: | Florida Atlantic University | |
Physical Form: |
electronic electronic resource |
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Extent: | v, 95 leaves ; 29 cm. | |
Language(s): | English | |
Summary: | Democracy promotion is an important tenet of United States foreign policy. However, U.S. democracy promotion efforts are conditioned by geopolitical concerns, economic goals, and security interests. This thesis analyzes the impact of U.S. foreign policy in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Evidence from these cases suggests that United States foreign policy has contributed to the growth of unhealthy or pseudo-democracies in Latin America because frequently the policy reinforces the political and economic power of entrenched elites or the military. These groups, whose interests more closely align with U.S interests, are often uncommitted to supporting policy that promotes human rights and equitable distribution of wealth and power or that demands universal political liberties. Democracy is promoted rhetorically rather than in practice, and consequently is unresponsive and illegitimate. Future democracy promotion efforts by the United States, if they are to be successful, must overcome this illegitimacy by compensating for the conflicts that conditioned democracy produces. | |
Identifier: | 503322249 (oclc), 210005 (digitool), FADT210005 (IID), fau:1378 (fedora) | |
Note(s): |
by Kelly Walsh. Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2009. Bibliography: leaves 94-95. Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web. |
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Subject(s): |
Democracy -- Latin America Democratization -- Government policy -- United States -- 20th century Latin America -- Politics and government -- 20th century Latin America -- Foreign relations -- United States United States -- Foreign relations -- Latin America |
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Held by: | FBoU FAUER | |
Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/210005 | |
Use and Reproduction: | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder. | |
Host Institution: | FAU |