“President Carter’s foreign policy improved US relations with Latin America.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that President Carter’s foreign policy improved US relations with Latin America. Candidates may refer to Carter’s foreign policy based on the defense of human rights. In so doing, he ended financial aid to repressive regimes in Latin America and placed sanctions on Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Whether these actions improved relations is debatable. In Nicaragua, the US ceased support of the repressive dictator Somoza and he was overthrown by the leftist Sandinistas. Carter provided economic aid to the Sandinistas. He also completed negotiations with Panama, turning control of the Canal over to Panama, and began negotiations with Cuba to improve relations. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that President Carter's foreign policy improved US relations with Latin America This question included some of the strongest responses of the session. Often, the analysis was well-balanced in acknowledging the efforts to improve relations through the Panama Canal Treaty and the human rights initiatives but asserted that Carter's adherence to containment policy created inconsistencies and contradictions.