Comparative analysis of Latin American foreign policies: actors and structures for middle-range theories

Abstract:

Recent publications on comparative Latin American foreign policy have made important contributions. However, comparative qualitative studies, which best fit the basic premises of foreign policy analysis, are still rare. I defend the idea that progress toward building consensus depends on contributions with methodological rigor and a solid theoretical base. To advance this argument, I dedicate myself to a task that is still little explored in the literature: a review of the main theoretical and empirical contributions of scholarship on Latin American foreign policy. Based on this analysis, I systematize the main independent variables and present theoretical frameworks and data for students and researchers interested in contributing to the advancement of middle-range theories on Latin American foreign policy.

Keywords:
Foreign policy; Latin America; middle-range theory; presidentialism; comparative analysis