Encouraging democratic transitions : the problematic impact of United States' involvement.

182 Pages·3.9 MB·en_US

by  Lasher, David Brian.;Bruneau, Thomas C.

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NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
Monterey, California
THESIS
ENCOURAGING DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS:
THE PROBLEMATIC IMPACT
OF UNITED STATES' INVOLVEMENT
by
David Brian Lasher
June 1991
Thesis Advisor: Thomas C. Bruneau
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
T258476 '

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4 PERFORMINGORGANIZATION REPORTNUMBER(S) 5 MONITORINGORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S)
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NavalPostgraduateSchool (Ifapplicable) NavalPostgraduateSchool
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6c ADDRESS(C/ty, State,andZIPCode) 7b ADDRESS{City, State,andZIPCode)
Monterey,CA 93943-5000 Monterey,CA 93943-5000
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11 TITLE (IncludeSecurityClassification)
ENCOURAGINGDEMOCRATICTRANSITIONS: THEPROBLEMATICIMPACTOFUNITEDSTATES'INVOLVEMENT(U)
12 PERSONALAUTHOR(S) Usher,DavidBrian
13a TYPEOFREPORT 13b TIMECOVERED 14 DATEOFREPORT(year,month,day) 15 PAGE1CO7U2NT
Master'sThesis From To 1991 June20
16 SUPPLEMENTARYNOTATION
TheviewsexpressedinthisthesisarethoseoftheauthoranddonotreflecttheofficialpolicyorpositionoftheDepartmentofDefenseortheU.S.
Government.
17 COSATICODES 18 SUBJECTTERMS(continueonreverseifnecessaryandidentifybyblocknumber)
FIELD GROUP SUBGROUP Brazil,Chile,Democracy,ElSalvador,PoliticalTransitions,UnitedStatesForeignPolicy
19 ABSTRACT(continueonreverseifnecess3ryandidentifybyblocknumber)
Thepurposeofthisthesisistoexaminewhatrole,ifany,theUnitedStatescanplayinencouragingdemocratictransitions. Itisa
comparisonofsomeofthedifferentapproachestheUnitedStatesusedinitsrelationswiththreecountriesinwhichithadvaryingamounts
ofinfluence: Chile(someinfluence),Brazil(relativelylittleinfluence),andElSalvador(relativelymajorinfluence). Thetwomost
fundamentalquestionsitasksare: WhatwouldbethebestpolicyfortheUnitedStatestofollowshoulditdecidetoencourageademocratic-
transitioninanygivencountry? Andassumingacoherentapproach,howmuchofanimpactareUnitedStates'effortslikelytohave? In
referencetothefirstquestion,thisstudyfindsthatabipartisanforeignpolicy,prudentlyusingthevariousinstrumentsatitsdisposal,isthe
bestcoursefortheUnitedStatestofollow. Asforthesecondquestion,theUnitedStatescanhaveanimpactondemocratictransitions,but
thatimpactislikelytobequitelimitedincomparisontotheinfluenceofotherfactors(historical,cultural,social,economic,andpolitical)
withinthatcountry. Assuch,increasedinvolvementdoesnotnecessarilyincreasetheabilityoftheUnitedStatestoencourageademocratic
transition. Itis,ineffect,aproblematicimpact.
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ThomasC.Bruneau [phone] Code NSto
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Approved forpublic release; distribution is unlimited.
Encouraging DemocraticTransitions: The Problematic ImpactofUnited States' Involvement
by
David Brian Lasher
Lieutenant, United States Navy
B.A., Allegheny College
Submitted in partial fulfillment
ofthe requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
from the
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
June 1991
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this thesis is to examine what role, if any, the United
States can play in encouraging democratic transitions. It is a comparison of
some of the different approaches the United States used in its relations with
three countries in which it had varying amounts of influence: Chile (some
influence), Brazil (relatively little influence), and El Salvador (relatively
major influence). The two most fundamental questions it asks are: What would
be the best policy for the United States to follow should it decide to
encourage a democratic transition in any given country? And assuming a
coherent approach, how much of an impact are United States' efforts likely to
have? In reference to the first question, this study finds that a bipartisan
foreign policy, prudently using the various instruments at its disposal, is
the best course for the United States to follow. As for the second question,
the United States can have an impact on democratic transitions, but that
impact is likely to be quite limited in comparison to the influence of other
factors (historical, cultural, social, economic, and political) within that
country. As such, increased involvement does not necessarily increase the
ability of the United States to encourage a democratic transition. It is, in
effect, a problematic impact.
111
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6,1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. CHANGES IN THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM 12
III. CHILE 25
A. PRESIDENT CARTER'S HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY 30
B. CARTER'S POLICY IN REGARDS TO CHILE 34
C THE REAGAN APPROACH 39
D. REAGAN'S POLICY IN REGARDS TO CHILE 42
E TOWARDS THE CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY 48
F CONCLUSION 52
IV. BRAZIL 56
A. BRAZIL'S DEMOCRACY AND THE ROAD TO THE MILITARY COUP 59
B. DEALING WITH THE MILITARY: THE SUBTLE APPROACH 64
C. DEALING WITH THE MILITARY: THE CARTER APPROACH 71
D. PRESIDENT REAGAN AND THE RETURN TO THE STATUS QUO 77
E. TOWARDS THE CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY 80
F. CONCLUSION 89
V. EL SALVADOR 92
A. ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT 95
B. CARTER'S RESPONSE 100
C. ANOTHER PRESPECTIVE 104
D. FORCES ON THE LEFT 108
E OUTSIDE EL SALVADOR 114
F THE REAGAN APPROACH 119
G. ANALYSIS OF THE REAGAN APPROACH 128
iv