ABSTRACT
This work has attempted to demonstrate the impact of the Panamanian military's political intervention through an examination of the development of Panamanian politics through the lens of military involvement. In attempting to explain the military foundations of Panamanian politics, both the domestic and external elements explained herein are necessary to understand why the Panamanian military had such an influential voice throughout the state's existence. As the only professional entity in a state that had always been the focus of external attention, it was a natural progression that the military would exercise the political influence that it did. But this reasoning alone has not been sufficient to explain this involvement.
