Promoting Democracy in the Americas

by Thomas Legler (Editor), Sharon F. Lean (Editor), Dexter S. Boniface (Editor)

Overview

Integrating comparative politics and international relations perspectives, this volume provides a critical analysis of the role of international and transnational actors in contemporary democratization processes in the Americas. It covers recent challenges to democracy in Venezuela, Haiti, and Ecuador along with current debates about election monitoring and democracy promotion within the Organization of American States.

The book provides up-to-date case studies—not available in any other text—of the major actors involved in recent democracy promotion activities in the Americas. The contributors focus on diverse themes related to efforts to strengthen democracy in the Americas and include fresh material on the role of regional powers other than the United States—specifically Brazil and Canada—in regional initiatives.

Showcasing cutting-edge theoretical debates, Promoting Democracy in the Americas offers a much needed reality check on whether international and transnational actors are indeed successful in their efforts to promote democracy and, if so, exactly what type of democracy they envision.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801886751
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	09/09/2007
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Thomas Legler is a professor of international studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
Chapter 1. The International and Transnational Dimensions of Democracy in the Americas
Part I: The Role of the OAS and Regional Powers
Chapter 2. The OAS and Legalizing Norms of Democracy
Chapter 3. The OAS's Mixed Record
Chapter 4. The United States: Rhetoric and Reality
Chapter 5. Canada: Democracy's New Champion?
Chapter 6. Brazil: How Realists Defend Democracy
Part II: Election Monitoring
Chapter 7. Election Monitoring and the Western Hemisphere Idea
Chapter 8. External Validation and Democratic Accountability
Part III: Crisis Cases
Chapter 9. Haiti 2004: CARICOM's Democracy Promotion Eorts
Chapter 10. Venezuela 2002–2004: The Ch.vez Challenge
Chapter 11. Ecuador 2004–2005: Democratic Crisis Redux
Part IV: Critical Reflections
Chapter 12. The International Political Economy of Democracy Promotion: Lessons from Haiti and Guatemala
Chapter 13. Transnational Response to Democratic Crisis in the Americas, 1990–2005
Appendix A. OAS Resolution 1080
Appendix B. The Inter-American Democratic Charter
References
List of Contributors
Index

What People are Saying About This

Gerardo L. Munck

This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the experience with democracy promotion in the Americas. It offers an up-to-date, engaging discussion, which balances theory and empirical analysis. An important contribution and a valuable analysis of a key normative question—how do we assist democracy?—that extracts lessons of great policy relevance.

Heraldo Muñoz

"This book is a comprehensive and solid analysis of the ups and downs of democracy promotion in the Americas. It shows how much the democracy cause has gained ground in the region since the historic 1991 OAS Santiago Commitment to Democracy, but it also demonstrates the failures and shortcomings of this process, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in the defense and promotion of representative democracy in the Americas. It is a fine guidebook for scholars and practitioners."

Alison Brysk

This timely volume assembles a diverse international team to cast light on the transnationalization of regime change in the Americas. Comparing OAS, state-based, and NGO promotion efforts across the region, this study expands our understanding of democracy beyond an electoral process—to include important dimensions of citizenship and accountability. Analytically, the interplay between structural and normative interpretations of democratization advances the constructivist approach to world politics.

From the Publisher

This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the experience with democracy promotion in the Americas. It offers an up-to-date, engaging discussion, which balances theory and empirical analysis. An important contribution and a valuable analysis of a key normative question—how do we assist democracy?—that extracts lessons of great policy relevance.
—Gerardo L. Munck, School of International Relations, University of Southern California, coauthor of Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics

This book is a comprehensive and solid analysis of the ups and downs of democracy promotion in the Americas. It shows how much the democracy cause has gained ground in the region since the historic 1991 OAS Santiago Commitment to Democracy, but it also demonstrates the failures and shortcomings of this process, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in the defense and promotion of representative democracy in the Americas. It is a fine guidebook for scholars and practitioners.
—Heraldo Muñoz, Ambassador of Chile to the United Nations

This timely volume assembles a diverse international team to cast light on the transnationalization of regime change in the Americas. Comparing OAS, state-based, and NGO promotion efforts across the region, this study expands our understanding of democracy beyond an electoral process—to include important dimensions of citizenship and accountability. Analytically, the interplay between structural and normative interpretations of democratization advances the constructivist approach to world politics.
—Alison Brysk, University of California, Irvine

Heraldo Muñoz

This book is a comprehensive and solid analysis of the ups and downs of democracy promotion in the Americas. It shows how much the democracy cause has gained ground in the region since the historic 1991 OAS Santiago Commitment to Democracy, but it also demonstrates the failures and shortcomings of this process, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in the defense and promotion of representative democracy in the Americas. It is a fine guidebook for scholars and practitioners.

Editorial Reviews

A worthy successor to Tom Farer's seminal Beyond Sovereignty.

Foreign Affairs - Richard Feinberg

A worthy successor to Tom Farer's seminal Beyond Sovereignty.
—Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs

Excellent new volume.
—Jesse Lerner-Kinglake, Bulletin of Latin American Research

From the Publisher

Excellent new volume.

Bulletin of Latin American Research - Jesse Lerner-Kinglake