A collection of 27 papers presented by scholars from all parts of the Americas at the 1975 New World Conference.

The diversity of Latin American trade agreements established since the mid-1980s reflects a broadening range of strategic perceptions and orientations. The argument of this volume is that this increasing divergence among the arrangements reflects fundamental and growing differences among their broader strategic perceptions and political and economic objectives. These, in turn, are grounded in each country's economic profile, the institutional configuration of its trade policy process, and the constraints and opportunities policymakers perceive at the domestic and international levels. The opening chapter in this volume provides a theoretical framework that highlights the political-economic tradeoffs entailed in different trade strategies. The remaining chapters in sections I and II focus on domestic and international constraints involved in the formulation, pursuit, and implementation of trade policies. The last half of the volume contains detailed, empirically grounded studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the dynamics of Mercosur.

Examining Latin American security in the post-Cold War era, policymakers and analysts from across the Americas assess the security threats and agendas of different subregions and evaluate the potential for wider hemispheric cooperation.
With the decline in Cold War tensions and external interference, along with a near-consensus favoring democracy and free market economics, Latin America faces an unusual opportunity to shape its own regional strategic agenda. Traditional threats such as border disputes must be addressed even while growing transnational problems challenge the capacities of young democracies. With increasing globalization, national security is inseparable from regional security and depends on the establishment of effective mechanisms for cooperation.
The contributors assess both the theoretical and empirical background of cooperation in the Americas, and argue that different subregions--such as the Caribbean Basin, the Andean nations, and the Southern Cone--approach cooperation from different strategic perspectives and traditions. They show that building hemispheric security requires pragmatic attention to local complexities and a concerted effort to emphasize common interests, including the defense of democracy, economic stability, citizens' security, and environmental protection.
The book asserts that the creation of a framework for regional cooperation will depend on the establishment at the local level of what it calls ConfidenceBuilding Measures (CBMs). It evaluates the potential roles of such international organizations as the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Defense Board, and studies the changing regional policies of the United States for their effectiveness and impact on regional security.

Examining Latin American security in the post-Cold War era, policymakers and analysts from across the Americas assess the security threats and agendas of different subregions and evaluate the potential for wider hemispheric cooperation.
With the decline in Cold War tensions and external interference, along with a near-consensus favoring democracy and free market economics, Latin America faces an unusual opportunity to shape its own regional strategic agenda. Traditional threats such as border disputes must be addressed even while growing transnational problems challenge the capacities of young democracies. With increasing globalization, national security is inseparable from regional security and depends on the establishment of effective mechanisms for cooperation.
The contributors assess both the theoretical and empirical background of cooperation in the Americas, and argue that different subregions--such as the Caribbean Basin, the Andean nations, and the Southern Cone--approach cooperation from different strategic perspectives and traditions. They show that building hemispheric security requires pragmatic attention to local complexities and a concerted effort to emphasize common interests, including the defense of democracy, economic stability, citizens' security, and environmental protection.
The book asserts that the creation of a framework for regional cooperation will depend on the establishment at the local level of what it calls ConfidenceBuilding Measures (CBMs). It evaluates the potential roles of such international organizations as the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Defense Board, and studies the changing regional policies of the United States for their effectiveness and impact on regional security.

The diversity of Latin American trade agreements established since the mid-1980s reflects a broadening range of strategic perceptions and orientations. The argument of this volume is that this increasing divergence among the arrangements reflects fundamental and growing differences among their broader strategic perceptions and political and economic objectives. These, in turn, are grounded in each country's economic profile, the institutional configuration of its trade policy process, and the constraints and opportunities policymakers perceive at the domestic and international levels. The opening chapter in this volume provides a theoretical framework that highlights the political-economic tradeoffs entailed in different trade strategies. The remaining chapters in sections I and II focus on domestic and international constraints involved in the formulation, pursuit, and implementation of trade policies. The last half of the volume contains detailed, empirically grounded studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and the dynamics of Mercosur.

Corruption persists as a challenge to the consolidation of Latin American democracies and to their economic development. Contrary to many expectations, policies to reduce the size of government, such as the privitization of state firms, have not proved a cure against corruption. In some cases, economic liberalization seems only to have worsened the problem.

"Combating Corruption in Latin America" examines the relationship between democratic and market reforms and corruption, including national strategies for its reduction. Authors from across the region, the United States, and Europe, discuss the nature, methods, and historical antecedents of today's corrupt practices, including issues of institutional design, the role of international actors, and culture.

These chapters raise many important questions. Can corruption in some cases be economically efficient? Does the transition to democracy and free markets increase or reduce opportunities and incentives for corruption? What policy responses are in effect at the local, national, and international levels, and are they likely to be effective? How is a growing business culture across Latin America likely to influence efforts for improved government transparency and efficiency?

Contributors come from the worlds of academia, government, journalism, and international financial institutions, and bring a range of economic and political perspectives to bear on the subject. They are Alberto Ades, Fernando Carrillo-Florez, Carlos Eduardo Lins Da Silva, Rafael Di Tella, Edmundo Jarquin, Luigi Manzetti, Luca Meldolesi, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Stephen Quick, Susan Rose-Ackerman, Mark L. Schneider, Ibrahim F. I. Shihata, and Laurence Whitehead.

Corruption persists as a challenge to the consolidation of Latin American democracies and to their economic development. Contrary to many expectations, policies to reduce the size of government, such as the privitization of state firms, have not proved a cure against corruption. In some cases, economic liberalization seems only to have worsened the problem.

"Combating Corruption in Latin America" examines the relationship between democratic and market reforms and corruption, including national strategies for its reduction. Authors from across the region, the United States, and Europe, discuss the nature, methods, and historical antecedents of today's corrupt practices, including issues of institutional design, the role of international actors, and culture.

These chapters raise many important questions. Can corruption in some cases be economically efficient? Does the transition to democracy and free markets increase or reduce opportunities and incentives for corruption? What policy responses are in effect at the local, national, and international levels, and are they likely to be effective? How is a growing business culture across Latin America likely to influence efforts for improved government transparency and efficiency?

Contributors come from the worlds of academia, government, journalism, and international financial institutions, and bring a range of economic and political perspectives to bear on the subject. They are Alberto Ades, Fernando Carrillo-Florez, Carlos Eduardo Lins Da Silva, Rafael Di Tella, Edmundo Jarquin, Luigi Manzetti, Luca Meldolesi, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Stephen Quick, Susan Rose-Ackerman, Mark L. Schneider, Ibrahim F. I. Shihata, and Laurence Whitehead.