U.S. and Latin American Relations

The third edition of U.S. and Latin American Relations offers detailed theoretical and historical analyses essential for understanding contemporary US-Latin American relations. Utilizing four different theories (realism, liberal institutionalism, dependency, and autonomy) as a framework, the text provides a succinct history of relations from Latin American independence through the Covid-19 era before then examining critical contemporary issues such as immigration, human rights, and challenges to US hegemony. Engaging pedagogical features such as timelines, research questions, and annotated resources appear throughout the text, along with relevant excerpts from primary source documents. The third edition features a new chapter on the role of extrahemispheric actors such as China and Russia, as well as a significantly revised chapter on citizen insecurity that examines crime, drug trafficking, and climate change. Instructor resources include a test bank, lecture slides, and discussion questions.

'This book is a superb resource for building knowledge and perspective on U.S.-Latin American relations. The masterfully crafted text - organized, engaging, and accessible - provides significant theoretical and historical lenses through which to understand contemporary dynamics in relations across the Western Hemisphere and beyond. This new edition expands the theoretical framework that is cogently woven into the text and provides students many opportunities to discover and think critically about recent events and current issues in the region.' Elizabeth J. Zechmeister, Vanderbilt University, 'An unbeatable resource for educators and interested citizens alike. This third edition revises and updates an outstanding introductory text on U.S.-Latin American relations. It presents and employs competing theoretic frames to structure a complete and concise analysis of the history which establishes a terrific foundation for understanding current issues in regional relations and current hemispheric relations.' Pamela K. Starr, University of Southern California, 'There is no better text for understanding the history of U.S.-Latin American relations, from the late colonial era right up to the post-pandemic present. It covers 200 years of history along with deep discussions of the full panoply of contemporary issues in a clear, engaging, yet theoretically grounded narrative.' William LeoGrande, American University, 'This updated and expanded edition from Weeks and Allison is sure to become a 'go-to' text for anyone teaching U.S.-Latin American Relations. The expanded theoretical framework and historical content provide excellent context for examining a range of contemporary issues in U.S.-Latin American Relations. It's a well-written, comprehensive but accessible text for undergraduates or anyone who wants to better understand hemispheric relations.' Christine Wade, Washington College

Gregory Weeks is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has a long track record of writing clear, accessible, and empirically grounded work on US-Latin American relations and Latin American politics. He is the author of another textbook, Understanding Latin American Politics (2014), and has authored a blog on the topic for fifteen years. He served as Editor-in-Chief of The Latin Americanist for fifteen years as well. Michael Allison is Professor and Chair of Political Science at The University of Scranton. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Teaching/Research Award to Guatemala in 2013 and a Fulbright Student Scholar Award to El Salvador in 1997. He has been recognized as the 2019 Alpha Sigma Nu Teacher of the Year at The University of Scranton in 2021 and won the Excellence in Integrating Mission and Justice into the Curriculum Award in 2015 and 2019. He has provided expert witness testimony in over fifty asylum cases for Salvadorans and Guatemalans seeking asylum in the United States.