Political Culture and Foreign Policy in Latin America

Case Studies from the Circum-Caribbean

By Roland H. Ebel, Raymond C. Taras, and James D. Cochrane

Subjects: Political Science
Series: SUNY series in The Making of Foreign Policy: Theories and Issues
Paperback : 9780791406052, 230 pages, September 1991
Hardcover : 9780791406045, 230 pages, October 1991

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Table of contents

Tables and Figures

Preface

1. Political Culture and the Making of Foreign Policy

2. Latin American Political Culture

3. Cultural Style and International Relations in Latin America

4. Political Culture and Foreign Policy in the Circum-Caribbean: The Democratic Cultures of Costa Rica and Venezuela

5. Alternating Monistic Systems and Foreign Policy: Colombia and Guatemala

6. Political Culture and Foreign Policy in Monistic Regimes: The Cases of Cuba and Nicaragua

7. Conclusions

Appendix

Index

Description

This book explores the impact of Latin America's political culture on the international politics of the region. It offers a general account of traditional Iberian political culture while examining how relations among states in the hemisphere — where the United States has been the central actor — have evolved over time. The authors assess the degree of consistency between domestic and international political behavior. The assessments are supported by case studies.

At Tulane University's Department of Political Science Roland H. Ebel is Associate Professor, Raymond Taras is Associate Professor, and James D. Cochrane is Professor.

Reviews

"This is a well-written, comprehensive analysis of political culture and its impact on foreign policy. It's a welcome addition to the work being done on national belief systems, values, attitudes, and traditions and their impact on foreign policy-making processes. This book is what social science research is all about — presentation and confirmation of useful middle-range theories. It is a good, solid piece of research that covers an important topic area. " — Steven Lamy, University of Southern California

"This is an excellent book that breaks new ground by focusing on the role of political culture in shaping foreign policy. The work is outstanding; it is a quality book of significant merit. " — Howard J. Wiarda, University of Massachusetts at Amherst