It is no secret that the US variously pulls away from the United Nations and embraces it as a significant venue for policy initiatives. But what explains this dramatic inconsistency? What is the logic of US multilateralism? Alynna Lyon explores the puzzling waxing and waning of US support for the UN, tracing events, actions, and decisions from the end of World War I to the present. Lyon weaves    More >

Why did the Truman administration reject a pragmatic approach to the Taiwan Strait conflict—recognizing Beijing and severing ties with Taipei—and instead choose the path of strategic ambiguity? Dean Chen sheds light on current US policy by exploring the thoughts and deliberations of President Truman and his top advisers, among them Dean Acheson, John Foster Dulles, Livingston Merchant,    More >

Though China remains a relatively weak nuclear power, it has in recent years become central to US strategic policymaking. What explains this shift? How is the US-China strategic nuclear relationship evolving? What role do other states play in shaping it?   To address these questions, the authors of US-China Nuclear Relations examine a series of strategic triangles involving China, the US,    More >

Few would disagree that the nature of current relations between Mexico and the United States embodies both promising opportunities and reasons for alarm. The contributors to this timely book draw on the strategic-foresight methodology to explore those relations in the context of the two countries’ respective political regimes, their asymmetrical role on the world stage, and the relationships    More >

After Bolivia had received more than $4.7 billion from the US government to support 70 years of development efforts, why would Evo Morales abruptly expel USAID from the country in May 2013? The answer, alleges Lawrence Heilman, is rooted in a complex slice of history beginning with US assistance to Bolivia during World War II. Heilman explores that history from the perspectives of both the US    More >

During the swan song of the Soviet Union and the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, many insurgent groups that had been dependent on Moscow or Havana quickly faded into political oblivion. But some existing groups, as well as emerging ones, flourished within a new and uncharted political constellation. This comparative study probes the origins and effects of Latin America's most potent    More >

Topics include: Protecting Democracy by Controlling State Crime in Advanced Industrialized Countries; Controlling State Crime in the United Kingdom; Controlling State Crime in the United States of America: What Can We Do about the Thug State?; Controlling State Crime in Canada; Controlling State Crime in Israel: The Dichotomy between National Security versus Coercive Powers; Controlling State    More >

Venezuela, Latin America's second-oldest democracy, today faces its greatest challenge. Recovering from the attempted military coup of February 1992 and seeking resolution of a severe crisis of presidential legitimacy, the Perez government must now fight for its survival. This book explores the roots of Venezuela's current crisis. The authors trace the country's democratic development, offer    More >

During Hugo Chávez's presidency, Venezuelan society underwent a sudden—and vicious—split between the Chavistas and the Opposition. What accounts for the extreme intensity of the split? How did differences so quickly become irreconcilable? What role did the media play? Answering these and related questions, Ana Mallen and María Pilar García-Guadilla explore how    More >

The radical alteration of the political landscape in Venezuela following the electoral triumph of the controversial Hugo Chávez calls for a fresh look at the country's institutions and policies. In response, and challenging much of the scholarly literature on Venezuelan democracy, this book offers a revisionist view of Venezuela's recent political history and a fresh appraisal of    More >