1

Democratization in Haiti: US Intervention- Friend or Foe?

2

Haiti in Brief: 2007

1. In size Haiti is about the same of Maryland

2. Capital – Port–au–Prince

3. Population – 8.5 million

4. Ethnic groups: African descent 95%, African

and European descent 5%.

5. Adult Literacy - 56%

6. Government – Republic, Constitution March

1987 7. Ranked by Freedom House as “Not Free”

Source: US State Department Online Country Profile

3

Haitian History in 60 Seconds First a Spanish, then a French Colony Considered the ONLY successful slave rebellion Declared Independence January 1, 1804 Power struggle throughout the 19th Century First US Intervention 1915- Progressive Period Occupation Ends 1934 US Instilled minority non-blacks in power 1957-1986, Duvalier Regime- ‘Papa Doc’ and ‘Baby

Doc’ Military junta in interim Governor’s Island Accords Jean-Bertrand Aristide became president in 1991 in

‘fair’ elections Bertrand thrown out of office by military coup

All this eventually sets the scene for the 1994 US- Led Military Intervention in Haiti.

4

Why did we intervene in Haiti in 1994?

“The reasons for intervention are to protect our interests, to stop the brutal atrocities that threaten thousands of Haitians, to secure our borders, and to preserve stability and promote democracy in our hemisphere, and to uphold the reliability of the commitments we make and others make to us.”

-President William J. Clinton, 1994

55

DemocratizationDemocratization

““A democracy is a compound of A democracy is a compound of institutions of a modern state and institutions of a modern state and institutions of mass participation and institutions of mass participation and representation.”*representation.”*

-Richard Rose and Doh Chull Shin -Richard Rose and Doh Chull Shin

*Rose, Richard, and Doh Chull Shin. "Democratization Backwards: The Problem of Third-Wave Democracies." British Journal of Political Science 31(2001): 331-354.

6

Democratization

Authoritarianism -> Democracy Freedom ≠ Democracy “third wave” countries Negative global trends in democratization? Democratic Institutions

77

Democratization FactorsDemocratization Factors

EconomyEconomy

Education LevelsEducation Levels

CultureCulture

GeographyGeography

SocietySociety

Foreign InterventionForeign Intervention

8

Economic Development vs. Probability of Democracy

9

The Democratic Peace Theory

What is it? The Democratic Peace theory is the

idea that two democratic nations will not go to war with each other. This is based on historical evidence that no two democracies have ever gone to war with one another.

Why is this flawed?

10

Haiti and the Democratic Peace An overarching reason for

intervention in Haiti stemmed from the overall concept of Democratic Peace Theory- Haiti Remains one of the few ‘not free’ nations in our hemisphere

Haiti also remains one of the poorest nations in the world, yet is less than 100 miles from the Southern Tip of Florida.

Does Haiti’s geographic proximity to the US have any bearing on our right or duty to bring democracy to them?

11

Democracy IndexDemocracy IndexIn 2006, The Economist did a study of how countries ranked In 2006, The Economist did a study of how countries ranked

democratically.democratically.Methodology: Total of 60 questions were asked about each Methodology: Total of 60 questions were asked about each

country. Answers were graded with a 1, .5 (if applicable), or country. Answers were graded with a 1, .5 (if applicable), or 0. The points were added up and then countries were ranked. 0. The points were added up and then countries were ranked.

CountryCountry RankRank Overall Overall ScoreScore

Electoral Electoral Process and Process and PluralismPluralism

Functioning of Functioning of governmentgovernment

Political Political ParticipationParticipation

Political Political CultureCulture

Civil Civil LibertiesLiberties

Haiti*Haiti* 109109 4.194.19 5.585.58 3.643.64 2.782.78 2.502.50 6.476.47

SwedenSweden## 11 9.889.88 10.0010.00 10.0010.00 10.0010.00 9.389.38 10.0010.00

USUS## 1717 8.228.22 8.758.75 7.867.86 7.227.22 8.758.75 8.538.53

North North KoreaKorea$$

167167 1.031.03 0.830.83 2.502.50 0.560.56 1.251.25 0.000.00

*Hybrid Regime

#Full Democracy

$Authoritarian Regime

Source: The Economist (2007) www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_INDEX_2007_v3.pdf

1212

Debunking the Myth of Democracy: Debunking the Myth of Democracy: Countries Claiming to be DemocraciesCountries Claiming to be Democracies

Red- governments that do not claim to be democratic. Blue- governments that claim to be democratic.

Source: Wikipedia

13

US National Interest

1992 Bill H.R. 5267, Section I states:

The Congress finds that-- (1) the Haitian refugee crisis is growing and warrants an

expanded United States response; (2) Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected President of Haiti in a

landslide victory on December 16, 1990, in the first free and fair election in Haiti's 186 year history; and

(3) the unconstitutional seizure of power by the Haitian military is repugnant to all democratic nations, and represents an affront to all who believe in democracy.

14

15

Realist Versus Liberal The Liberal case for

intervention: Democratic Peace theory, Humanitarian reasons

The Realist case for intervention: US self-interest based not on a Haitian Human rights crisis but on an American Refugee crisis

16

So, which one is it?

17

What happened? The 1994 Intervention is widely

considered a FAILED intervention. The UN placed the blame on Haiti itself. US left no lasting plan for stabilization The US went in for its own national

interests, once these were secured, why continue to invest time and troops?

What other factors contributed to this?

1818

Failure to Democratize HaitiFailure to Democratize Haiti

Blamed primarily on society. i.e. Blamed primarily on society. i.e. “balance of class forces”“balance of class forces”

American occupation hindered American occupation hindered democracy.democracy.

Problems with resource distribution. Problems with resource distribution. Haiti too poor for democracy?Haiti too poor for democracy?

Failure to establish democratic Failure to establish democratic institutions.institutions.

19

Haiti since the 1994 Intervention Aristide out of office in

2004 Controversial

subsequent elections Haiti remains ‘not free’ Remains one of the

world’s poorest states Ongoing problem- 3rd

Intervention Questions surround

Aristide’s exit from office.

2020

Democracy Still Possible?Democracy Still Possible?

““I cannot predict the survival of Democracy I cannot predict the survival of Democracy in Haiti … It is not yet clear whether in Haiti … It is not yet clear whether democratic institutions survive in Haiti democratic institutions survive in Haiti without foreign military support.”*without foreign military support.”*

*Vanhanen, Tatu . Prospects of Democracy: A Study of 172 Countries. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997.

2121

Parallels between Haiti and Parallels between Haiti and IraqIraq• Interventions on the basis of human Interventions on the basis of human

rights abuserights abuse• Historical Racial DivisionsHistorical Racial Divisions• Gender DivisionGender Division• Lack of a long term planLack of a long term plan• Application of the Democratic Peace Application of the Democratic Peace

TheoryTheory• ““To protect US interests” Oil, Proximity, To protect US interests” Oil, Proximity,

Reputation?Reputation?

2222

Democratization and the Status Democratization and the Status QuoQuo

• Democratization is destabilizing.Democratization is destabilizing.

• Any time you shift the form of Any time you shift the form of government, it obviously changes the government, it obviously changes the status quo-status quo-

• Does this not destabilize?Does this not destabilize?

23

Democra-do’s and Don’ts