Promoting democracy: the United States and Haiti

• Main Author: Williams, Pat L.
• Other Authors: Tollefson, Scott D.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/7493

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the most important factors necessary for democratic transition in Haiti, and to assess the U.S. role in promoting democracy. This thesis provides an in-depth review of theoretical literature on democratization. The thesis then reviews Haitian history, with a focus on the legacies that have significant implications for the democratization of Haiti. This thesis concludes that the United States' support of democracy in Haiti is a necessary but insufficient condition for establishing democracy in that country. The United States cannot compensate for Haiti's internal shortcomings, but it can seek to affect the two most important internal factors for Haiti's democratization: civil-military relations and political institutions. U.S. support for democracy in Haiti will only succeed if the Haitian civilian government exercises control over the military, and if Haiti's political institutions are efficient and functioning properly. Finally, the thesis (a) provides recommendations for U.S. policy vis-a-vis Haiti, (b) argues that the Haitian case can only be generalized in narrow instances, and (c) raises issues for future research.