The Evolution And Decline Of The Monroe Doctrine In Latin America

It is universally accepted that the US,as the only superpower in the world,has exerted great influence on managing global affairs.Due to the geographical proximity,the US has long regarded the Latin America as its “backyard”.Throughout its foreign policies in Latin America,the Monroe Doctrine is the core.From the territorial expansion of 19 th century to the pursuit of hegemony in Western Hemisphere in early 20 th century,the influence of the Monroe Doctrine was unrivaled.The situation after World War II,however,indicated a diminishing trend.Apparently,the decline of the Monroe Doctrine is not consistent with the status of the US as the world’s only superpower.Therefore,the reason is worthy of analysis and in-depth study.First,the thesis systematically expounds the Monroe Doctrine’s evolution from a historical perspective.Next,based on two documents-the Monroe Declaration in 1823 and Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine in 1904,the thesis proposes three criteria related to economic,security and political spheres to analyze the decline of Monroe Doctrine and draws the conclusion that the Monroe Doctrine has revealed a declining trend after World War II.Furthermore,the two crises in Venezuela are used as examples to demonstrate this downward trend.Finally,the thesis analyzes the roots of the Monroe Doctrine’s decline.The main reasons of the Monroe Doctrine’s decline are summarized as follows.First,the structural paradox of the Monroe Doctrine is the fundamental factor.A hegemonic order pursued by the US under the Monroe Doctrine is largely at the expense of Latin America countries’ sovereignty and local people’s interest.Then,due to the expanding scope of US hegemonic strategy after World War II,the affairs in Latin America is no longer the priority in US foreign policy agenda.Besides,due to the relative decline of its capability,the US has chosen to shrink its front in Latin America.Last,the infiltration of external forces,such as Russia in the 21 st century has given Latin American countries greater choice and more development space,which is also the main reason for the decline of the Monore Doctrine’s influene in Latin America.In addition,the thesis provides a new research perspective for understanding the origin and evolution of US foreign policy toward Latin America and also has certain reference for the development of China-Latin American relations.