u.s.-latin american relations political science 146a fall 2014 peter h. smith
TRANSCRIPT
U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS
Political Science 146AFall 2014
Peter H. Smith
CONTACT INFO• [email protected]• Social Science Building 364• Wednesday 3-5
• Cameron Sells• [email protected]• Social Science Building 352• Friday 3-5
• Maya Duru [data forthcoming]
Key Questions• What is the current state of U.S. relations with
Latin America?• What (if anything) is unique or “new” about
the present situation? How much have we seen before?
• Where is the relationship headed? What might the future hold?
• Subtext: strong vs. weak, disparity in power
Course Design• Course Structure and Conceptual
Approaches
• Historical Stages1. Imperialism in the Americas2. Cold War in the Americas3. The 1990s: From Geopolitics to Geoeconomics
• The Contemporary Scene: 9/11-present
1. The War on Terror: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
2.Opportunity for Latin America3. The Political Economy of Drug
Trafficking4.Migration and Latino Communities
5. Obama and Latin America6. Conclusion and Review
ANALYTICAL TOOLS
• Nation-state as unit of analysis (not markets, not psychology)
• International systems with distinct “rules of the game”
• Formulation of “grand strategies” (depending on perceptions of world arena)
• Disparities in power• “Hard” vs. “soft” power
POINTS OF ENTRY
• Readings:– Smith, Talons of the Eagle, 4th edition– Domínguez and Fernández de Castro,
Contemporary U.S.-Latin American Relations• Videos (as shown)• Guest speakers
ASSIGNMENTS AND DATES
• November 20: mid-term exam (33 % grade)
• December 11: 10-15 page analytical papers (67% of course grade)
PARTING THOUGHTS
• Have fun in this course!
• Q: If ignorance is bliss, knowledge must be…. ?
A CAST OF CHARACTERS
