1. U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS Political Science 146A Peter H. Smith TA: Molly Hamilton

2. CONTACT INFO phsmith@dss.ucsd.edu Office hours: Tuesday 3-5 p.m., SSB 364 mhamilton@ucsd.edu@ucsd.edu Office hours: TBA

3. Why This Course? Convenience or program requirements Economic opportunities, emerging markets Presence in southern California Insights on American society Perspectives on U.S. foreign policy: How do strong countries treat weaker ones?

4. Key Questions What is the current state of U.S. relations with Latin America? What (if anything) is unique or “new” about the present situation? How much have we seen before? Where is the relationship headed? What might the future hold?

5. Basic Assumptions International system based on tacit codes of conduct or “regimes” Regimes change according to distributions of power U.S. relations with Latin America thus take place within changing contexts (“regimes”) Latin America is more important to U.S. than is generally recognized

6. Design of the Course Course Structure and Conceptual Approaches Historical Trends 1. The Imperial Era 2. The Cold War 3. Decade of Uncertainty: The 1990s 4. 9/11 and the War on Terror

7. The Post-Cold War Era 1. NAFTA and the Gospel of Free Trade 2. The Political Economy of Drug Trafficking 3. Migration and Latino Communities

8. 9/11 and the War on Terror 1. George Bush: Neglect and Opportunity for Latin America 2. Barack Obama and the Politics of Hope (?)

9. A CAST OF CHARACTERS

19. Required Readings Smith, Talons of the Eagle, 3 rd edition (2008) 146A Course Reader (~ $29) –http://www.universityreaders.comhttp://www.universityreaders.com –“STUDENTS BUY HERE” in “Student Store” –Create an account or login –Follow instructions –Call 800.200.3908

20. Course Requirements Analytical paper: Monday, March 1 (50% of grade) Final exam: 3 hours, closed book (50%) Optional mid-term: distributed February 8, due February 22 (20% of grade, so 40% each for paper and final)

21. PARTING THOUGHTS Have fun in this course! Q: If ignorance is bliss, knowledge must be…. ?