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Cover image of Promoting Democracy in the Americas
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Promoting Democracy in the Americas

edited by Thomas Legler, Sharon F. Lean, and Dexter S. Boniface

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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...

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.

Reviews

Reviews

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

Excellent new volume.

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.

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.

About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
360
ISBN
9780801886768
Illustration Description
1 b&w illus
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

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

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Thomas Legler

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