Open AccessAsymmetrical Interdependence and Democratization in Central America
Author(s) -
Jeffrey J. Ryan
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
american review of politics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2374-779X
pISSN - 2374-7781
DOI - 10.15763/issn.2374-7781.1992.13.0.129-153
Subject(s) - democratization , liberalization , authoritarianism , political science , work (physics) , economic system , democracy , economics , positive economics , political economy , politics , law , engineering , mechanical engineering
Despite the enormous attention devoted to the topic of democratization, relatively little work has focused on the impact of external pressures on the process of liberalization in authoritarian systems. Borrowing the concepts of asymmetrical interdependence and interest hierarchies from the international relations literature, this article develops a model designed to predict outcomes in reform pressure situations. The model utilizes factors such as strategic threat levels, target-regime type, and military aid dependence to predict how much reform pressure the United States will exert, how far the target regime will go to accommodate this pressure, and what level of reform likely will result from the interaction. An examination of three central American cases provides general support for the model, with some modification. More generally, it suggests that an exogenously oriented model might usefully supplement the endogenously-oriented models which currently dominate this area of inquiry.