Date of Award
Spring 5-2-2018
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science and International Affairs
Department Chair or Program Director
Kramer, John
First Advisor
Barr, Robert
Second Advisor
Cooperman, Rosalyn
Major or Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
Over the course of the multi-decade War on Drugs in Latin America, the United States has continued to implement a supply-side focused strategy that has failed in nearly all facets. Neither the production, supply, or transit of illegal drugs has been reduced, nor has domestic demand decreased. However, majority of federal counterdrug funding is dedicated to the continuation of the same policies. Costly supply-side policies that do not achieve goals present a conundrum that begs resolution. Why has the United States continued to pursue a counterdrug strategy in Latin America that has been largely futile? This paper tests for the explanatory power of three possible answers to the question: bureaucratic inertia, domestic politics, and hegemonic status.
Recommended Citation
Parker, Kendall, "The U.S. War on Drugs in Latin America: What is the Method to the Madness?" (2018). Student Research Submissions. 247.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/247