ABSTRACT
Especially the American and the French Revolutions of the late 18th and early 19th century can be considered crucial for the development of the idea of the nation-state. The 19th century assumption that nation-states were in constant competition with each other for the best economic development was taken up again and transferred to the context of the Cold War. The lack of social cohesion has led to a variety of attempts at redefining nation-states in the Americas. Different phases of these attempts in the 20th and 21st centuries are described. The so-called desarrollismo proposed not only the development of national industries, but also the expansion of the industrial sector through the establishment of branches, especially in United States (US) corporations. Despite the power of oligarchic elites in Latin America, social security programs were adopted in parts of the region in industrialized capitalist countries like the US.
