Democracy and U.S. Policy in Latin America during the Truman Years (review)
This book investigates the roots and effectiveness of the stated desire of U.S. policymakers and Latin American leaders to encourage democracy during the years between World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, a period that saw Latin American democrats replace dictators in rapid succession. Schwartzberg boldly holds that U.S. policymakers who worked on Latin American affairs during these years displayed "civility," or a genuine sense of civic responsibility. They sincerely encouraged both "democratic solidarity and respect for the national sovereignty of other peoples" (p. xii). In short, he foregrounds the optimism and successes of U.S.led democratization.