2009 Articles

Asymmetrical Motivations: An Analysis of Argentine-Venezuelan Bilateral Relations

Thomas, Tina M.

"Understanding the structural forces that govern the Bolivarian Revolution has several important implications.
First, this work aims to fill a gap in political science and international relations research. Scholarly work on the Bolivarian Revolution has been limited to articles in academic journals and newspapers. Books on the subject are not as prevalent. ...
Second, this research is of particular interest because it focuses on two developing countries. It is common for scholars to point to relations between developed nations, or between a developed and developing nation. With this focus, we miss the dynamics of a huge swath of foreign policy that concerns only developing countries. Specifically, this project emphasizes the importance of ideology in the foreign policy of developing countries, which current schools of thought do not stress.
Finally, this project has great implications for policy decisions made by the United States regarding this region. Understanding how bilateral relations work in South America and what motivates leaders like Hugo Chávez should be a central element in crafting U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America."--from pages 88-89