Introduction

Dominant narratives shaped by European and North American experiences created inadequate explanations for Latin America, for example, by relegating the region to a marginal space in grand theory or by using it mostly as a negative counterfactual. In most academic discussions, Latin America emerges as a case study to contrast against a “universal” explanation, or general theory. Concepts relevant to international order, international structure, or balance of power, for instance, are delineated around the experiences of ancient European city-states, like Athens or Sparta, or modern great powers, like Great Britain, France, and the United States of America. Stable and unified regimes that govern united polities have the capacity to mobilize the necessary national resources to deal with new threats and opportunities. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.