Abstract

FLEMES, Daniel  and  RADSECK, Michael. Security multilevel governance in South America. Pap.polit. [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.1, pp.203-238. ISSN 0122-4409.

The security agenda in South America requires the simultaneous management of domestic crises, interstate conflicts and transnational threats. Though they are located in different systemic levels (national, international and transnational), the three clusters of conflict are often interrelated and tend to overlap in the border areas of the region. Political decision-makers are aware of the high complexity of this agenda and, despite their marked differences, seem willing to build regional authority structures that can coordinate, manage and regulate collective responses to such threats. In addition, both the unilateral, bilateral and multilateral structures and the region's ability to solve conflicts have gained importance compared to the respective inter-American structures in the past decade. Given this change in the management of regional security issues, the question arises as to whether a multilevel approach with comprehensive security architecture is more instrumental than separate schemes of governance related to each security threat. Since neither the traditional models of power balance and alliance building nor the security community approach can satisfactorily explain the dynamics of regional security, the authors hypothesize and provide evidence for the fact that, at present, different governance and security systems coexist and overlap in South America.

Keywords : Security; Latin America; Governance; south America; Governance; Decentralization in government; Latin America; Politics and Government.

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