Tracing
the full arc of U.S.-Brazilian interaction, Hemispheric Giants thoroughly
explores the enigmatic and often-misunderstood nature of the relationship
between the two largest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Britta Crandall
asks the crucial question of why significant engagement between the United
States and Brazil has been so scarce since the inception of the bilateral
relationship in the late 1800s. Especially, she critically examines
Washington's so-called "benign neglect"—a policy often criticized as
unbefitting Brazil's size and strategic importance. Drawing on a rich array of
archival sources and personal interviews, Crandall pinpoints the key examples
through time of high-level U.S. policy attention to Brazil. Her comprehensive
analysis of the ebbs and flows of policy engagement allows Crandall to tease
out common threads among her cases. In so doing, she shows that the label
"neglect," implying a one-sided, fitful relationship, is far from the
reality of a mutual, ongoing policy engagement between the U.S. and Brazilian
governments. To be sure, their different relative power positions and foreign
policy traditions have limited high-level bilateral engagement. However,
Crandall argues convincingly that the diminishing power disparity between the
United States and Brazil is leading to closer ties in the twenty-first
century—a trend that will bring about growing cooperation as well as
competition in the future.
Table
of Contents
Preface
and Acknowledgments p. vii
Introduction:
The Importance of Dual Priorities p. 1
1893
to World War II
The
1893 Naval Revolt and the Rio Branco Years: Origins of the "Unique
Alliance" p. 17
World
War I: Widening Power Disparity p. 35
World
War II: Engagement during the Roosevelt-Vargas Years p. 47
The
Postwar Era: Drop in Policy Attention p. 59
The
Cold War
The
1950s: Bilateral Distancing p. 75
The
1960s: Brazil in the Fight against Communism p. 93
The
Carter Administration: Human Rights and Nuclear Tensions p. 119
The
Reagan Administration: Atomic Bombs and Foreign Debt p. 133
Post-Cold
War
Presidents
Bush and Clinton: An Economic Agenda p. 149
After
September 11: Signs of Convergence p. 159
Looking
to the Future: Equal Partners? p. 179
Conclusion:
U.S.-Brazilian Relations in Perspective p. 191
Selected
Bibliography p. 195
Index
p. 201
About
the Author p. 211
Review
A stimulating and
analytically powerful study of Brazilian-U.S. relations. Arguing against the
idea that the United States 'neglects' Brazil, Britta Crandall refocuses the
bilateral relationship over time and offers fresh and important guidelines for
the future of the relationship as Brazil, in the twenty-first century, will
play an increasingly important regional and global role. (Roett, Riordan )
Hemispheric Giants directly
and cogently attacks the mainstream whine that the United States has forever
neglected Brazil, marshalling strong evidence that U.S. officials—both at the
senior and middling levels of the bureaucracy—have in fact recognized Brazil's
relative weight, but more often than not have had their aspirations dashed by
Brazil's own reluctance to engage constructively with Washington. We are
fortunate to have this sophisticated and balanced framework for assessing past
and present U.S.-Brazilian relations. (Richard Feinberg )
Much of what is
written on U.S.-Latin American relations relies on media reports or recycles
other academic works. Crandall, in contrast, took the time to interview U.S.
policymakers and career diplomats. Her discovery: the mainstream complaint that
the United States has forever neglected Brazil is way off the mark. In fact,
U.S. officials—at both the senior and the middle levels of the bureaucracy—have
recognized Brazil's relative weight and have repeatedly sought to engage its
Foreign Ministry. But hung up on fears of being overwhelmed by U.S. power, or
driven by their own dreams of Brazilian hegemony over South America, Brazilian
diplomats have often turned their backs on U.S. advances. In this
well-researched and balanced treatment, Crandall foresees the potential for
bilateral cooperation on emerging global issues, ranging from financial
stability to energy supplies, on which U.S. and Brazilian interests may
converge. But will Brazil sufficiently redefine its strategic posture to pick
up these gains? (Foreign Affairs )
About the Author
Britta H. Crandall is
adjunct professor of political science at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced
International Studies.
