Governing the Americas presents the first systematic assessment of the functioning of hemispheric institutions since the introduction of the Summit of the Americas process in 1994.
The authors evaluate the effectiveness of inter-American institutions with regard to core issues of democratic governance, security, trade, and economic development. They consider, as well, the impact of the profusion of multilateral institutions on the coordination and efficiency of hemispheric cooperation. Exploring why some multilateral efforts have worked while others have been more problematic, they also offer a reasoned assessment of the future of inter-American cooperation.
Gordon Mace is professor of political science at Laval University and director of the University's Inter-American Studies Center. He is also director of the journal Etudes internationales. Among his publications are Foreign Policy and Regionalism in the Americas and The Americas in Transition: The Contours of Regionalism. Jean-Philippe Thérien is professor of political science and assistant scientific director of CERIUM at the University of Montreal. He is coauthor of Foreign Policy and Regionalism in the Americas. Paul Haslam is assistant professor of international development at the University of Ottawa.
"An excellent volume that provides a fine and updated analysis of the recent evolution and current state of hemispheric regionalism in the Americas."—Ana Margheritis, The Americas
"This excellent book underscores why international institutions are needed in the Americas—and why the time has come for them to be reinvigorated." —Robert A. Pastor, Foreign Affairs
"A sophisticated and comprehensive analysis of the inter-American system and its travails, striking a fine balance between describing the morphology of regional and subregional arrangements and diagnosing their ailments.... Highly recommended."—David Pion-Berlin, University of California, Riverside
"This excellent collection ... provides an insightful evaluation of the complex web of inter-American institutions that have been created in the Western Hemisphere since the December 1994 Miami Summit of the Americas.... Highly recommended.” —Choice
