ABSTRACT
The Dominican Republic shares with Haiti the island known by its indigenous population, the Tainos and Arawaks, as Quisqueya, later renamed Hispaniola by the Spanish conquistadores that took possession of the territory in 1492. Hispaniola would eventually become a subject of the great power rivalry between France and Spain. The political and social trajectory of the Dominican Republic has been one of difficulty and resilience, change and continuity. Situated in the center of the Caribbean, the country has historically been exposed to the threat of invasions, hurricanes, pirate incursions, and illicit trafficking. These developments had two remarkable outcomes: first, the repositioning of the Dominican Republic as a strategic objective of the United States, and second, the increasing political volatility of the country, precisely the opposite of what dollar diplomacy and the customs receivership were meant to accomplish. The political trends have important consequences for Dominican democracy and the well-being of Dominican society.
