Harold A Trinkunas
Biographic Data
| ID | 597869 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Harold A Trinkunas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Harold A |
| FAMILY NAME | Trinkunas |
| SIGNATURE | TRINKUNAS H A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Naval Postgraduate School |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4062-9930 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 96 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Oxford Handbook of Peaceful Change in International Relations
With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power transition conflicts is back in popular and scholarly attention. The discipline of International Relations offers much on why violent power transition conflicts occur, yet very few substantive treatments exist on why and how peaceful changes happen in world politics. This Handbook is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of peaceful change in…
Three Tweets to Midnight: Effects of the Global Information Ecosystem on the Risk of Nuclear Conflict
Militants, Criminals, and Warlords: The Challenge of Local Governance in an Age of Disorder
Conventional political theory holds that the sovereign state is the legitimate source of order and provider of public services in any society, whether democratic or not. But Hezbollah and ISIS in the Middle East, pirate clans in Africa, criminal gangs in South America, and militias in Southeast Asia are examples of nonstate actors that control local territory and render public services that the nation-state cannot or will not provide. This fascin…
Militants, Criminals, and Warlords: The Challenge of Local Governance in an Age of Disorder
Conditions of military contestation in populist Latin America
Latin America experienced recurring episodes of populism, and of military reaction against populists, during the twentieth century, frequently ending in coups d'état. In the twenty-first century, military coups appear to have died out even as populist regimes returned during the third wave of democracy. This paper examines military contestation in populist regimes, both left and right, and how it has changed in the contemporary period. Combining …
Aspirational Power: Brazil on the Long Road to Global Influence
As the largest country in South America by land mass and population, Brazil has been marked since its’ independence by a belief that it has a potential to be more than merely a very large country. Set apart from the rest of the hemisphere by culture, language and history, Brazil has also been viewed by its neighbors as a potential great power, and at times, a threat. But even though domestic aspirations and foreign perceptions have held out the p…
Aspirational Power: Brazil on the Long Road to Global Influence
"As the largest country in South America by land mass and population, Brazil has been marked since its independence by a belief that it has a potential to be more than merely a very large country. Set apart from the rest of the hemisphere by culture, language and history, Brazil has also been viewed by its neighbors as a potential great power, and at times, a threat. But even though domestic aspirations and foreign perceptions have held out the p…
Party-system collapse: The roots of crisis in Peru and Venezuela, by Jason Seawright
Jason Seawright has written a remarkable new book on what happens when voters lose confidence en masse in a hitherto stable party system. While individual parties may come and go, the cast of chara
Building Democratic Militaries
Building Democratic Militaries Harold Trinkunas (bio) The Soldier and the Changing State: Building Democratic Armies in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. By Zoltan Barany. Princeton University Press, 2012. 472 pp. By titling his new book as he has, Zoltan Barany consciously evokes Samuel P. Huntington’s seminal 1957 study on civil-military relations, The Soldier and the State. Whereas Huntington focused on great powers and had in view milit…
Latin America’s Growing Security Gap
Balancing freedom and security is a challenge for any democracy, yet in Latin America, governments are once again addressing this issue as the region becomes increasingly violent. A legacy of authoritarianism has led Latin American reformers to advocate limits on their security forces, directing their militaries towards external threats and democratizing their police to focus on community issues. However, violent actors have become more capable a…
The Transformation of Venezuela
For all the talk of revolution in Venezuela today, it is the twentieth century that witnessed the most profound transformation in the country’s state and society. Prior to the advent to power of Juan Vicente Gómez in 1908, Venezuela mirrored many of its neighbors in the Latin Caribbean: it had an agricultural economy with few substantial exports, a profoundly divided society in which regional and local attachments (la patria chica) had pride of p…
Civilian Praetorianism and Military Shirking During Constitutional Crises in Latin America
Since the end of the Cold War, an elected civilian leader in Latin America is more likely to be displaced from office prior to the end of his constitutional term by mass mobilization than by a military coup.As Arturo Valenzuela has observed, thirteen of the fifteen nonconstitutional transfers of power in the region between 1990 and 2004 have been the result of civilian coups rather than military actions. 1 This phenomenon has occurred in Argentin…
Terrorism Financing and State Responses: A Comparative Perspective
Financial and material resources are correctly perceived as the life blood of terrorist operations, and governments have determined that fighting the financial infrastructure of terrorist organizations is the key to their defeat. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, a good deal has been learned about sources and mechanisms used to finance the “new” terrorism, which is religiously motivated and exponentially more deadly than previous generatio…
Attention Deficits: Why Politicians Ignore Defense Policy in Latin America
Interest in defense issues among Latin American politicians has faded with the advent of widespread democratization in the region and the retreat of the armed forces to their barracks. Defense policy is rarely subject to the same level of public scrutiny and debate as other major policy issues faced by the region, such as health, education, and public safety. This is puzzling because by ignoring defense policy, civilian leaders in the region risk…
Democratization as a Global Phenomenonand its Impact on Civil-Military Relations
The most recent wave of democratization has placed control over military and security forces in the hands of elected officials in more countries than ever before. Despite the implications of this trend for international security, scholarly work on democratization and civil-military relations has tended to focus on purely local actors, interests, and strategies when explaining outcomes. When the impact of global trends is considered at all, the fo…
The Crisis in Venezuelan Civil-Military Relations: From Punto Fijo to the Fifth Republic
For many who thought of Venezuela as a consolidated democracy, the 1992 coup attempts came as a complete surprise. Those familiar with the deterioration of its democratic regime, in contrast, were more surprised that the coups did not succeed. This article provides an institution-centered explanation of the puzzle of why the 1992 coup attempts occurred, why they failed, and why the Venezuelan military has remained quiescent in the years that foll…
The reemergence of the Venezuelan Armed Forces as a political actor
On the evening of 11 April 2002, the third day of a general strike, the Venezuelan armed forces rebelled against their president, Hugo Chavez Frías. Reacting to the bloody outcome of clashes between pro- and antigovernment demonstrators near the presidential palace, the commander of the Army, General Efraím Vásquez Velasco, announced in a nationally televised address that he would no longer obey presidential orders. General Vásquez accused Hugo C…
Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America
Journal Article Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America Get access Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America by Martin Meredith. New York, Public Affairs, 1999. 390 pp. $27.50. Harold A. Trinkunas Harold A. Trinkunas Naval Postgraduate School Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Political Science Quarterly, Volume 116, Issue 1, Spring 2001, Pages 155–157, https://doi.org/10.2307/2657840 Publishe…
Crafting Civilian Control in Emerging Democracies: Argentina and Venezuela
Democratic transitions create an opportunity for elected officials to maximize their leverage over the armed forces and create institutions that permanently shift power away from the military. This article develops a theoretical argument about how civilian control- is established. Venezuela institutionalized weak civilian control in the wake of its 1958 democratic transition, allowing the regime to survive the 1992 coup attempts. Argentina moved …
Venezuela’s “Peaceful Revolution”
Essay| March 01 1999 Venezuela’s “Peaceful Revolution” Jennifer L. McCoy, Jennifer L. McCoy Jennifer L. McCoy is director of the Latin American and Caribbean program at the Carter Center in Atlanta and associate professor of political science at Georgia State University. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Harold Trinkunas Harold Trinkunas Harold Trinkunas is a visiting scholar at the Center for Latin America…
Civilian Praetorianism and Military Shirking During Constitutional Crises in Latin America
Since the end of the Cold War, an elected civilian leader in Latin America is more likely to be displaced from office prior to the end of his constitutional term by mass mobilization than by a military coup.As Arturo Valenzuela has observed, thirteen of the fifteen nonconstitutional transfers of power in the region between 1990 and 2004 have been the result of civilian coups rather than military actions. 1 This phenomenon has occurred in Argentin…
Latin America’s Growing Security Gap
Balancing freedom and security is a challenge for any democracy, yet in Latin America, governments are once again addressing this issue as the region becomes increasingly violent. A legacy of authoritarianism has led Latin American reformers to advocate limits on their security forces, directing their militaries towards external threats and democratizing their police to focus on community issues. However, violent actors have become more capable a…
Conditions of military contestation in populist Latin America
Latin America experienced recurring episodes of populism, and of military reaction against populists, during the twentieth century, frequently ending in coups d'état. In the twenty-first century, military coups appear to have died out even as populist regimes returned during the third wave of democracy. This paper examines military contestation in populist regimes, both left and right, and how it has changed in the contemporary period. Combining …
Democratization as a Global Phenomenonand its Impact on Civil-Military Relations
The most recent wave of democratization has placed control over military and security forces in the hands of elected officials in more countries than ever before. Despite the implications of this trend for international security, scholarly work on democratization and civil-military relations has tended to focus on purely local actors, interests, and strategies when explaining outcomes. When the impact of global trends is considered at all, the fo…
Crafting Civilian Control in Emerging Democracies: Argentina and Venezuela
Democratic transitions create an opportunity for elected officials to maximize their leverage over the armed forces and create institutions that permanently shift power away from the military. This article develops a theoretical argument about how civilian control- is established. Venezuela institutionalized weak civilian control in the wake of its 1958 democratic transition, allowing the regime to survive the 1992 coup attempts. Argentina moved …
The reemergence of the Venezuelan Armed Forces as a political actor
On the evening of 11 April 2002, the third day of a general strike, the Venezuelan armed forces rebelled against their president, Hugo Chavez Frías. Reacting to the bloody outcome of clashes between pro- and antigovernment demonstrators near the presidential palace, the commander of the Army, General Efraím Vásquez Velasco, announced in a nationally televised address that he would no longer obey presidential orders. General Vásquez accused Hugo C…
Venezuela’s “Peaceful Revolution”
Essay| March 01 1999 Venezuela’s “Peaceful Revolution” Jennifer L. McCoy, Jennifer L. McCoy Jennifer L. McCoy is director of the Latin American and Caribbean program at the Carter Center in Atlanta and associate professor of political science at Georgia State University. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Harold Trinkunas Harold Trinkunas Harold Trinkunas is a visiting scholar at the Center for Latin America…
Crafting Civilian Control in Emerging Democracies: Argentina and Venezuela
Democratic transitions create an opportunity for elected officials to maximize their leverage over the armed forces and create institutions that permanently shift power away from the military. This article develops a theoretical argument about how civilian control- is established. Venezuela institutionalized weak civilian control in the wake of its 1958 democratic transition, allowing the regime to survive the 1992 coup attempts. Argentina moved …
Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America
Journal Article Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America Get access Uncivil Movements and Democracy in Latin America by Martin Meredith. New York, Public Affairs, 1999. 390 pp. $27.50. Harold A. Trinkunas Harold A. Trinkunas Naval Postgraduate School Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Political Science Quarterly, Volume 116, Issue 1, Spring 2001, Pages 155–157, https://doi.org/10.2307/2657840 Publishe…
The Crisis in Venezuelan Civil-Military Relations: From Punto Fijo to the Fifth Republic
For many who thought of Venezuela as a consolidated democracy, the 1992 coup attempts came as a complete surprise. Those familiar with the deterioration of its democratic regime, in contrast, were more surprised that the coups did not succeed. This article provides an institution-centered explanation of the puzzle of why the 1992 coup attempts occurred, why they failed, and why the Venezuelan military has remained quiescent in the years that foll…
The reemergence of the Venezuelan Armed Forces as a political actor
On the evening of 11 April 2002, the third day of a general strike, the Venezuelan armed forces rebelled against their president, Hugo Chavez Frías. Reacting to the bloody outcome of clashes between pro- and antigovernment demonstrators near the presidential palace, the commander of the Army, General Efraím Vásquez Velasco, announced in a nationally televised address that he would no longer obey presidential orders. General Vásquez accused Hugo C…
Democratization as a Global Phenomenonand its Impact on Civil-Military Relations
The most recent wave of democratization has placed control over military and security forces in the hands of elected officials in more countries than ever before. Despite the implications of this trend for international security, scholarly work on democratization and civil-military relations has tended to focus on purely local actors, interests, and strategies when explaining outcomes. When the impact of global trends is considered at all, the fo…
Terrorism Financing and State Responses: A Comparative Perspective
Financial and material resources are correctly perceived as the life blood of terrorist operations, and governments have determined that fighting the financial infrastructure of terrorist organizations is the key to their defeat. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, a good deal has been learned about sources and mechanisms used to finance the “new” terrorism, which is religiously motivated and exponentially more deadly than previous generatio…
Attention Deficits: Why Politicians Ignore Defense Policy in Latin America
Interest in defense issues among Latin American politicians has faded with the advent of widespread democratization in the region and the retreat of the armed forces to their barracks. Defense policy is rarely subject to the same level of public scrutiny and debate as other major policy issues faced by the region, such as health, education, and public safety. This is puzzling because by ignoring defense policy, civilian leaders in the region risk…
The Transformation of Venezuela
For all the talk of revolution in Venezuela today, it is the twentieth century that witnessed the most profound transformation in the country’s state and society. Prior to the advent to power of Juan Vicente Gómez in 1908, Venezuela mirrored many of its neighbors in the Latin Caribbean: it had an agricultural economy with few substantial exports, a profoundly divided society in which regional and local attachments (la patria chica) had pride of p…
Civilian Praetorianism and Military Shirking During Constitutional Crises in Latin America
Since the end of the Cold War, an elected civilian leader in Latin America is more likely to be displaced from office prior to the end of his constitutional term by mass mobilization than by a military coup.As Arturo Valenzuela has observed, thirteen of the fifteen nonconstitutional transfers of power in the region between 1990 and 2004 have been the result of civilian coups rather than military actions. 1 This phenomenon has occurred in Argentin…
Latin America’s Growing Security Gap
Balancing freedom and security is a challenge for any democracy, yet in Latin America, governments are once again addressing this issue as the region becomes increasingly violent. A legacy of authoritarianism has led Latin American reformers to advocate limits on their security forces, directing their militaries towards external threats and democratizing their police to focus on community issues. However, violent actors have become more capable a…
Building Democratic Militaries
Building Democratic Militaries Harold Trinkunas (bio) The Soldier and the Changing State: Building Democratic Armies in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. By Zoltan Barany. Princeton University Press, 2012. 472 pp. By titling his new book as he has, Zoltan Barany consciously evokes Samuel P. Huntington’s seminal 1957 study on civil-military relations, The Soldier and the State. Whereas Huntington focused on great powers and had in view milit…
Party-system collapse: The roots of crisis in Peru and Venezuela, by Jason Seawright
Jason Seawright has written a remarkable new book on what happens when voters lose confidence en masse in a hitherto stable party system. While individual parties may come and go, the cast of chara
Aspirational Power: Brazil on the Long Road to Global Influence
As the largest country in South America by land mass and population, Brazil has been marked since its’ independence by a belief that it has a potential to be more than merely a very large country. Set apart from the rest of the hemisphere by culture, language and history, Brazil has also been viewed by its neighbors as a potential great power, and at times, a threat. But even though domestic aspirations and foreign perceptions have held out the p…
Aspirational Power: Brazil on the Long Road to Global Influence
"As the largest country in South America by land mass and population, Brazil has been marked since its independence by a belief that it has a potential to be more than merely a very large country. Set apart from the rest of the hemisphere by culture, language and history, Brazil has also been viewed by its neighbors as a potential great power, and at times, a threat. But even though domestic aspirations and foreign perceptions have held out the p…
Militants, Criminals, and Warlords: The Challenge of Local Governance in an Age of Disorder
Conventional political theory holds that the sovereign state is the legitimate source of order and provider of public services in any society, whether democratic or not. But Hezbollah and ISIS in the Middle East, pirate clans in Africa, criminal gangs in South America, and militias in Southeast Asia are examples of nonstate actors that control local territory and render public services that the nation-state cannot or will not provide. This fascin…
Militants, Criminals, and Warlords: The Challenge of Local Governance in an Age of Disorder
Conditions of military contestation in populist Latin America
Latin America experienced recurring episodes of populism, and of military reaction against populists, during the twentieth century, frequently ending in coups d'état. In the twenty-first century, military coups appear to have died out even as populist regimes returned during the third wave of democracy. This paper examines military contestation in populist regimes, both left and right, and how it has changed in the contemporary period. Combining …
Three Tweets to Midnight: Effects of the Global Information Ecosystem on the Risk of Nuclear Conflict
The Oxford Handbook of Peaceful Change in International Relations
With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power transition conflicts is back in popular and scholarly attention. The discipline of International Relations offers much on why violent power transition conflicts occur, yet very few substantive treatments exist on why and how peaceful changes happen in world politics. This Handbook is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of peaceful change in…
Political science (16 works) · Law (14 works) · Politics (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Democracy (9 works) · Political economy (9 works) · Latin Americans (7 works) · Law (7 works) · Politics and Society in Latin America (7 works) · Public Administration (5 works)