ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the outlines of a theoretical approach for the study of Latin American foreign policies. It aims to develop a theoretical approach which will aid in our understanding of Latin American foreign policy behavior and to guide research in the area, the substantive approach would appear to be the most useful. In the context of the Latin American political reality, the issues on which nations interact can be grouped into three issue-areas: the military-strategic area, the economic development area, and a status-diplomatic area. The literature on Latin American politics suggests three principal determinants of Latin American foreign policy--a regime's choice of developmental model, the extent of national economic dependence on the United States and perceived territorial threats. Guillermo O'Donnell's synthesis of both the authoritarian and developmental approaches further refines the discussion of the authoritarian nature of Latin American decision making.
