Mechanisms of defense policy diffusion in South America: evidence from the South American Defense Council

Abstract

The South American Defense Council (SADC) aimed to coordinate regional defense policies and build confidence among its members. It diffused practices among its members, such as a standard methodology to report defense expenditures. However, we still need a proper understanding of how it happen. In this article, I contribute to understanding defense cooperation in South America by answering which mechanisms allowed the Council to diffuse policies. Using evidence from the Council’s meeting records and process tracing, I show that SADC boosted interactions and set and monitored the implementation of particular practices on defense policies.

South American Defense Council; UNASUR; International Security; Defense Policy; Defense Cooperation; Policy diffusion