Cracks in the Consensus: Debating the Democracy Agenda in U.S. Foreign Policy

by Howard J. Wiarda

Overview

Since the 1980s a remarkable consensus has emerged in U.S. foreign policy based on three main pillars: democracy, free trade, and open markets. The free trade and open markets issues currently are being debated in Congress, but recent events in Russia, Bosnia, Mexico, and Haiti (among others) force us to reexamine the democracy-fostering aspects of U.S. policy as well. Howard J. Wiarda offers a probing analysis of U.S. democracy/elections policy, exploring both the positive aspects of the policy and its negative implications. His volume ranges widely across countries and regions to examine Russia, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. It wrestles with the complex issues raised by the elections/democracy agenda and concludes with a series of recommendations for analysts and policymakers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275961015
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/26/1997
Series:	The Washington Papers
Pages:	124
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

HOWARD J. WIARDA is Professor of Foreign Policy and Political Science and holds the Leonard J. Horwitz Chair of Latin American and Iberian Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also Senior Associate of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has also published extensively on foreign and strategic policy issues, comparative politics, the developing nations, Southern Europe, Latin America, and East Asia. His more recent books include American Foreign Policy: Actors and Processes, Democracy and Its Discontents, U.S. Foreign and Strategic Policy in the Post-Cold War Era, Introduction to Comparative Politics, Latin American Politics and Development, and Politics in Iberia. He serves as an adviser and consultant to the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies and private businesses.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
The Democracy Agenda in U.S. Foreign Policy
American Exceptionalism
The Democracy Agenda
The Wilsonian Tradition in Foreign Policy
The Emergence of Consensus on the Democracy/Elections Policy
Overview
Case Studies: The Diversity of Democracy
Russia
China and Asia
Eastern Europe
Islamic Society
Africa
Case Studies: Latin America
Mexico
Haiti
Peru and Guatemala
Venezuela
The Dominican Republic
Conclusions and Policy Recommendations
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Overviews the democratic experience in key regions of the world, with case studies from Latin American, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia, examining the effectiveness of US democratization policy and the lessons learned. Concludes that democracy is not irreversible, and US policy toward it is far from being infallible. For US policy makers. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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