Accession Number:
AD1052529
Title:
Affecting U.S. Policy Toward Latin America: An Analysis of Lower-Level Officials
Descriptive Note:
Technical Report
Corporate Author:
Naval Postgraduate School Monterey United States
Personal Author(s):
Report Date:
2018-03-01
Pagination or Media Count:
101.0
Abstract:
In this paper, I examined U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America, primarily during the Cold War. I sought to answer the following questions 1 What factors influenced the behavior of lower-level U.S. officials stationed in Latin America at the time and 2 How much policy-affecting agency did these officials have Using primary source documentation contained in the State Departments Foreign Relations of the United States FRUS volumes to the maximum extent possible, I examined the following case studies Guatemala circa 1954, Costa Rica circa 1948, and lastly, present-day Bolivia. In my research and analysis, I shed light on the dynamic that existed between Washington policymakers and lower-level officials stationed in-region, mainly ambassadors. My analysis resulted in the following conclusions 1 anti-communist Cold War hysteria clouded the judgment of lower-level officials, 2 pressure from Washington elites largely influenced the behavior of these officials, and 3 U.S. officials stationed in-region had relatively little policy-affecting agency. Ultimately, I make a case for a U.S. foreign policy apparatus that empowers lower-level officials stationed in-region. This arrangement will prove most effective in observing, analyzing, and appreciating the nuances present in foreign countries, which would result in a flexible and tailored U.S. foreign policy.
Descriptors:
Subject Categories:
- Government and Political Science