1st Edition
Don't Disturb the Neighbors The US and Democracy in Mexico, 1980-1995
Offering often-surprising insights into American foreign policy, this book is the first comprehensive analysis of the U.S. Government's public statements and actions regarding democracy in Mexico. Spanning the years from the Central American crisis of the Reagan administration through the 1995 Mexican peso crisis, Mazza uses revealing interviews with many of the leading U.S. policy officials to probe beneath the surface of American foreign policy toward Mexico and question the set of aging, unexamined assumptions under which it operates. By chronicling and analyzing how the United States has treated democracy in Mexico, she adds a new understanding to United States-Mexico relations and to the nature of U.S. policy-making on democracy.
Biography
Jacqueline Mazza works for the Inter-American Development Bank where she is responsible for policy research and developing grant projects throughout Latin America. She has more than 20 years experience with U.S. foreign policy, research, and development, including five years as a U.S. congressional aide.
"A fascinating study of Mexico's transition to democracy." -- Foreign Affairs
"Why has the United States done so little for so long to promote democracy in Mexico? Jacqueline Mazza skillfully explores this surprisingly neglected question in an important contribution to the literature on U.S. democracy promotion and U.S.-Latin American relations. - Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace."
"Mazza's insightful book sheds considerable light on both the possibilities and limitations of US efforts to promote democracy in Mexico. It is a fascinating case study, cogently argued and richly documented, that should be read by practitioners and analysts alike. -Michael Shifter, Senior Fellow, Inter-American Dialogue."
"Through extensive interviews and research in primary materials, Mazza has done a superb job in demonstrating that a deeply ingrained, unspoken 'operational code' shaped a U.S. policy of pragmatic passivity with respect to Mexico's so-called 'perfect dictatorship.' - John Bailey, Professor of Government, Georgetown University."
