Towards a Political Economy of Hemispheric Relations

Abstract

Conceptual frameworks on inter-American relations based on conservative ‘realism’ and liberal ‘complex interdependency’ have lacked a capacity to explain and understand – and above all, predict – the dynamics in regional interactions. A common epistemological and ideological problem emerges from a distinctly ethnocentric perspective. This essay attempts to bridge this analytical gap by presenting a systemic, historical and structural model for policy analysis, looking at policy-making and coalition building in the hemisphere (the Americas) as a whole. It examines transnational alliances and conflict-management modes around two fundamental policy options, ‘Pentagonism’ and ‘Trilateralism’ and the effects on inter- and intra-coalition conflict for the region.