Interest Groups and American Foreign Policy

From Whence Interest Groups? Spontaneous Formation –Collective Action Problem Policy Entrepreneurs Patrons of Political Activity

Interest Group Strength Organizational strength Membership unity and voting –Rise of ethnic interest groups Salience of the message Access to government –Pushing an open door? Mutually supportive relationships

Context: US-Cuba Policy Platt Amendment 1901 Cuban Revolution 1959 Bay of Pigs Invasion 1961 Embargo Policy (Failed) Rapprochement under Carter

Reagan and CANF Central America: “Go to the Source” Richard V. Allen and Jorge Mas Canosa AIPAC model Radio and TV Marti National Endowment for Democracy INS Yeltsin, and Southern Africa

Cuba Policy at the end of the Cold War Ease up, or press down harder? Haiti Bush and Cuban Democracy Act Electoral Politics New members of Congress –Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) ‘89 –Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) ‘93 –Robert J. Menendez (D-NJ) ‘93

Clinton and Cuba Policy Mario Baeza’s Almost Nomination 1993 Immigration Decision 1994 Brothers to the Rescue 1996 LIBERTAD (Helms-Burton) 1996 Waiving Helms-Burton Clinton Unilateral Initiatives in 1998 &1999 Business and Farm Groups Fight Back

Who Runs This Joint, Anyway? LIBERTAD Codified the Embargo President Called Parts of it “Precatory” Titles III & IV; Section 102 & Section Cuban-Americans in Congress CANF vs. USA*Engage? Council on Foreign Relations Task Force “Gore Commission” Bush’s future (have you seen the new census?)