In recent years, Latin America has taken a backseat in terms of American foreign policy. A region that is stereo typically considered unstable and violent has ceased to be important to the United States, its hemispherical neighbor and global superpower. This project sheds some light on the assumption that Latin America is wholly unstable, and recognizes the causes and effects of social, economic, historical, and political factors that play a role in whether or not a state is politically stable. The study focuses on three players from varying regions of Latin America: Costa Rica, Argentina, and Cuba. Costa Rica is often considered one of the oldest, most stable democracies in the region. Cuba and Argentina have both had dictatorships in the last century, and their economies have risen and fallen, or vice versa. This project identifies some major factors in stability in an area that is grouped together as a Hispanic culture, but has so much variety within it. The thesis sheds light on the role of conflict history, economic development, political structure, and individual leaders in defining each state's political stability. Costa Rica, Argentina, and Cuba possess varying degrees of each of these factors, and the findings provide evidence for their current status on the political spectrum.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-1546 |
| Date | 01 January 2006 |
| Creators | Perdue, Rebekah |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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