“President Truman’s containment policy damaged relations between the United States and other countries in the region.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that President Truman’s containment policy damaged relations between the United States and other countries in the region. Candidates may refer to Truman’s focus on the threat of communism in Europe and Asia (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and Korean War), rather than the economic needs of Latin America and the creation of the School of the Americas (SOA) in the Panama Canal Zone to provide anti-communism counter-insurgency training (though often through repression and human rights violations which damaged relations with many Latin Americans). The creation of the Rio Pact and the Organization of American States as hemispheric defense organizations may be cited as examples of limited achievement. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example the containment policies of post-Truman administrations, so long as the Truman era is initially and adequately developed. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The theory that President Truman's containment policy damaged relations between the US and other countries of the region was fairly popular and most candidates concluded that it was harmful due to US fixation on preventing the spread of Communism in Europe. Cuba was the most commonly cited example, but stronger responses also developed US policies in multiple countries such as Chile and Guatemala. Unfortunately, there were many essays that did not confine their examples to countries of the America's region as required by the question. Additionally, some candidates ignored the Truman era and dealt exclusively with the era of US relations with Castro.