ABSTRACT
The chapter examines the different definitions and conceptions of hegemony, from Ancient Greece to modern international relations theory and the writings of the Italian sociologist Antonio Gramsci. There is a review of variegated hierarchy as an alternative characterization of traditional American behavior in the Western Hemisphere. Utilizing these various definitions and conceptions, there is discussion of whether the United States of America has ever been a global hegemon. The chapter concludes with various examples of the U.S. role as a regional hegemon in Latin America and the Caribbean. These include the intervention in the boundary dispute between Venezuela and the United Kingdom over British Guiana; the independence of Panama and the subsequent construction of the Canal; the Roosevelt Corollary; Dollar Diplomacy; the Good Neighbor Policy and various Cold War-era invasions, coups, and covert operations; and unwavering support for repressive regimes.
