Fragile Foundations and Infant Institutions

Haiti has earned the dubious distinction of being one of the poorest nations, on a per capita basis, in the world. Even the country’s relatively recent transition from authoritarianism to democratic rule was not enough to spark liberal-market reform and the country’s integration into the global economy. The Haitian people have thus been confined to decades of deprivation, under a variety of regimes that span the political spectrum.