Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine

David Ronfeldt

ResearchPublished 1985

This paper argues that the strategic principles behind the Monroe Doctrine are as valid and relevant as ever, and outlines four key principles derived from the Doctrine that are at the basis of U.S. strategy in the Caribbean: (1) the Caribbean Basin should be secure and friendly for U.S. presence, power, and passage; (2) potentially hostile powers should be prevented from acquiring military facilities in the area; (3) foreign balance-of-power struggles should be prevented from destabilizing the area; and (4) few U.S. military resources should be dedicated to protecting U.S. interests there. Based on these principles, and trends that suggest the Caribbean will continue to be important to U.S. security, the author suggests that U.S. strategy in the Caribbean Basin should emphasize reducing the revolutionary conflicts and restoring stability; arresting Soviet and Cuban military expansion; diminishing the intrusion of all external rivalries; and accomplishing the above without major reliance on military instruments.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
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  • Year: 1985
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 16
  • Paperback Price: $20.00
  • Document Number: P-7090

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RAND Style Manual
Ronfeldt, David, Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine, RAND Corporation, P-7090, 1985. As of September 12, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7090.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Ronfeldt, David, Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1985. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7090.html. Also available in print form.
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