Which Way Latin America? Hemispheric Politics Meets Globalization

Edited by Andrew F. Cooper and Jorge Heine

Which Way Latin America? Hemispheric Politics Meets Globalization
Edited by Andrew F. Cooper and Jorge Heine

ISBN: 978928081172-8
328 pages; paper; US$36.00
September 2009

In this book, some of the world’s leading Latin Americanists explore the ways in which the region has re-engaged globalization. What is the relationship of China and India with Latin America? Has increased international political cooperation among Latin nations changed their foreign policy towards other regions and on specific issue areas, such as election monitoring and the ongoing dilemma in Haiti? How have the different “Lefts”, as exemplified by the governments of Chávez and Lula, shaped the region? What is the outlook of new entities such as UNASUR, the South American Union of Nations, and how have old entities such as the Organization of American States fared?

At a time when a new administration in the United States is shifting gears in foreign policy, and the global crisis is leading many to question the very survival of capitalism as we have known it, Latin America is especially well-positioned to make the most of this new international conjuncture. This book provides a sharp, up-to-date analysis of the new sources of political power and allegiances in the region today.

“Which Way Latin America? offers a fresh perspective on an old question that has yielded, up to now, tired answers. The authors survey the new landscape of more inclusive democracies and more independent foreign policies. The Obama Administration ought to read this to chart a new approach to the region.”

—Robert Pastor, Professor of International Relations, American University, and former US National Security Advisor for Latin America (1977-1981)

“This is an ambitious and important volume. It brings together a group of the hemisphere’s best analysts and thinkers to explain how profoundly Latin America has changed in recent years, and what those changes mean for the people and politics of the region and for its relations with the US and the rest of the world.”

—Peter Hakim, President of Inter-American Dialogue

“This excellent collection focuses on the dynamic interaction between Latin American and a fast-changing global system. Chapters expertly analyze crucial dimensions of this interaction, including democracy and the ‘rise of the left’, energy competition and resource nationalism, relations with China and India, the fraying of the Inter-American System, and such pivotal cases as Venezuela, Mexico, and Brazil. Contributors unpack both the impact of the world in and on the region, and the ever more complex and diversified relationship between the region and the world.”

—Andrew Hurrell, Montague Burton Professor of International Relations, Balliol College, Oxford University

“In a book that is timely, comprehensive, and insightful, Cooper, Heine, and their colleagues sharpen the ‘big picture’ of international relations in the Americas while examining key countries, large and small, in Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors present their thoughtful and informative analysis on salient topics, such as multilateral institutions, China and India, energy, Chávez, democracy and partisanship, and point the way to the future.”

—Jorge I. Domínguez, Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Politics and Economics, Harvard University

Andrew F. Cooper is Associate Director and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo.

Jorge Heine is Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Professor in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University, and Vice-President of the International Political Science Association.