The armed forces and democracy in Latin America / J. Samuel Fitch.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fitch, John Samuel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civil-military relations--Latin America.

Civil-military relations.

Latin America.

Armed Forces--Political activity--Latin America.

Armed Forces.

Armed Forces--Political activity.

Physical Description:

xx, 264 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Md. : Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Summary:

The political role of the military is one of the most important questions facing Latin American societies seeking to consolidate new democracies. Despite the return to elected civilian governments, undemocratic patterns of civil-military relations persist in much of the region. Still, the political power of the armed forces is varied and often less dominant than expected. In key countries, military influence is declining, although effective democratic control of the military remains elusive.

In The Armed Forces and Democracy in Latin America, J. Samuel Fitch analyzes the contrasting patterns of military power in post-transition regimes. Drawing on a wide range of sources he shows how learning from the past, the domestic environment, and the international context affect military beliefs about their role in politics. His analysis includes policy, recommendations for U.S. and Latin American leaders trying to promote democratic civilian-military relations.

The book tackles the subject of the military and politics in Latin America from a broad historical perspective, drawing on the relevant literature in the field and adding new information not before available. Much of this new information is based on extensive personal interviews with officers in all ranks in the Ecuadorean and Argentine military. The culmination of a long and arduous research effort, Fitch's work is a fresh, unusual, and important contribution.

Contents:

Introduction: The Armed Forces and Democracy xi

1 The Military and Politics in Latin America: Institutional Development, Professionalism, and Political Context 1

2 Contemporary Patterns of Civil-Military Relations: Origins and Evolution 36

3 Military Role Beliefs in New Democracies: Ideology and Context in Argentina and Ecuador 61

4 National Security: Ideology, Doctrine, Threats, and Missions 106

5 Military Policy and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America 134

6 Democratic Professionalist Alternatives 175.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [219]-254) and index.

ISBN:

0801859174

0801859182

OCLC:

38566267