ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Haiti's seemingly unending transition to democracy since the collapse of the Duvalier father-to-son dictatorship. Here Haiti, admittedly, diverges from the typical Latin American experience, in as much as the debility of the state is considerably more acute in Haiti than it is elsewhere in the region, which greatly problematizes the sustainability of liberal democracy. The chapter discusses intersection of color and class in Haitian politics. National identity, for one, rather than written in stone, is dynamic, part of the attempt to build community, enhance the security of the state, create external links and consolidate the authority and legitimacy of local elites. It is a political project, which means it is heavily agency driven. National identity is also historically determined and constantly reshaped. Much has been made of the longevity of the combined Duvalier dictatorship to suggest that Haitians are so used to authoritarian rule that they are ill-prepared for democracy.
