Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T06:10:21.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Public Opinion and the Future of U.S.-Panama Relations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Orlando J. Pérez
Orlando J. Pérez*
Affiliation:
Central Michigan University
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Using survey data and interviews, this study examines Panamanian attitudes toward the United States and toward the central issues in US.- Panama relations. It also compares Panamanian attitudes with opinions toward the United States in the rest of Central America. The study finds that nationalism, system support, anticommunism, and, for the mass public, ideology are the most important variables in determining support for the United States. Elites are more nationalistic and less accommodationist toward the United States than the mass public. Concern about the politicization and misuse of the Panama Canal and adjacent lands has led many in the general public to support a continued US. military presence on the Isthmus of Panama.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1999 , pp. 1 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acto Constitucional No. 2 de 1994. In República de Panamá, Constitución política de 1972, reformada por los actos reformatorios de 1978, por el acto constitucional de 1983 y los actos legislativos no. 1 y no. 2 de 1994. 3d ed. Panama City : Editorial Mizrachi & Pujol, 1999. 57.Google Scholar
Almond, Gabriel. 1950. The American People and Foreign Policy New York : Harcourt Brace.Google Scholar
Arias, Ricardo A. 1998. No hay ambiente en Panamá para bases militares. Canal de Panamá Hoy (Panama City) 7, 34 (September): 3.Google Scholar
Cajar, Aristides, and Herasto, Reyes. 1998. La oposición al Cma. La Prensa (Panama City). http:www.sinfo.netprensahoytrasfon.htm. (4 February).Google Scholar
Castillero Pimentel, Ernesto. 1964. Panamá y los Estados Unidos, 1903–1953: significado y alcance de la neutralidad de Panamá. Panama City: Universidad de Panamá.Google Scholar
Center for International Policy. 1996. U.S. Economic and Military Assistance to Central America. http:www.us.netcipmilexp.htm. (October 28).Google Scholar
Cóchez, Guillermo. 1992. Former mayor of Panama City, Christian Democratic legislator. Author interview. Panama City, December 2.Google Scholar
Converse, Philip E. 1964. The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics. In Ideology and Discontent, ed. David, Apter. New York : Wiley. 206–61.Google Scholar
Dichter & Neira 199596. El pulso de la nación. Poll. Published La Prensa.Google Scholar
Dinges, John. 1990. Our Man in Panama: How General Noriega Used the United States and Made Millions in Drugs and Arms New York : Random House.Google Scholar
Dye, Thomas R., and Ziegler, L. Harmon 1978. The Irony of Democracy North Scituate , MA : Duxbury Press.Google Scholar
Easton, David. 1975. A Re-assessment of the Concept of Political Support. British Journal of Political Science 5 (October: 435–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisenman, Roberto. 1992. President, Empresas Eisenman; founder, La Prensa; head, Asociación para la Libertad Ciudadana (Association for Citizen Liberty). Author interview. Panama City, December 2.Google Scholar
El Ejecutivo (Panama City). 1975. X Conferencia Anual de Ejecutivos de Empresa: Recomendaciones. No. 19 (July 19): 78. [Oficial magazine of the Apede.].Google Scholar
Falcoff, Mark. 1998. Panama's Canal: What Happens When the United States Gives a Small Country What It Wants Washington, DC : American Enterprise Institute Press.Google Scholar
Fishel, John T. 1992. The Fog of Peace: Planning and Executing the Restoration of Panama Carlisle , PA : Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College.Google Scholar
Foro Centroamericano de Derechos Humanos. 1999. Declaración final, transferencia del canal, evacuación de las tropas norteamericanas e impacto regional. Mimeograph. Panama City, March 16.Google Scholar
Furlong, William L. 1993. Panama: the Difficult Transition toward Democracy. Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 35, 3 (Fall): 19–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furlong, William L., and Margaret, E. Scranton 1984. The Dynamics of Foreign Policy Making: The President, the Congress, and the Panama Canal Treaties Boulder : Westview Press.Google Scholar
Guevara-Mann, Carlos. 1996. Panamanian Militarism: A Historical Interpretation Athens : Ohio University Center for International Studies.Google Scholar
Gibson, James L. 1992. Alternative Measures of Political Tolerance: Must Tolerance Be “Least Liked” American Journal of Political Science 36: 560–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Higley, John, and Richard, Gunther. 1992. Elites and Democratic Consolidation in Latin America and Southern Europe Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Holsti, Ole R., and James, N. Rosenau 1988. The Domestic and Foreign Policy Beliefs of American Leaders. Journal of Conflict Resolution 32, 2: 248–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holsti, Ole R. 1990. The Structure of Foreign Policy Attitudes among American Leaders. Journal of Politics 52, 1: 94–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurwitz, Jon, and Mark, Peffley. 1986. The Means and Ends of Foreign Policy as Determinants of Presidential Support. American Journal of Political Science 31, 2: 236–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurwitz, Jon 1987. How Are Foreign Policy Attitudes Structured? a Hierarchical Model. American Political Science Review 81, 4: 1099–1120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Illueca, Jorge. 1998. El Cma atenta contra la soberanía nacional. Premisa (Panama City) 11, 52 (April): 6.Google Scholar
Isacson, Adam. 1998. Importance of the Proposed Multilateral Counter-Drug Center (Cma) to U.S. Strategic Interests in the Region. Paper delivered at the Central American Human Rights Forum “Panamanian Civil Society Faces the Multilateral Counter-Drug Center,” sponsored by Central American Human Rights Commission (Codehuca), University of Panama, Panama City, April 30. http:www.us.netcip980430pn.htm.Google Scholar
Jackman, Robert W. 1972. Political Elites, Mass Publics, and Support for Democratic Principles. Journal of Politics 34, 3: 753–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorden, William J. 1984. Panama Odyssey Austin : University of Texas Press.Google Scholar
Kempe, Frederick. 1990. Divorcing the Dictator New York : Putnam.Google Scholar
Leis, Raúl. 1998. Candidato(a): Negociarías bases militares El Panamá America, October 21. http:www.epasa.comEl-Panama-Americaarchive102198opinion1.html.Google Scholar
Lindsay-Poland, John. 1997. Multilateral Counter-Drug Center or Disguised U.S. Military Base. Fellowship of Reconciliation Panama Update no. 18 (Winter). http:www.nonviolence.orgforpanama0197-5.htm.Google Scholar
Lindsay-Poland, John. 1998a. Counter-Drug Base Still on Hold. Fellowship of Reconciliation Panama Update no. 23 (June-July). http:www.nonviolence.orgforpanama2.htm.Google Scholar
Lindsay-Poland, John. 1998b. Counter-Drug Center Negotiations Collapse. Fellowship of Reconciliation Panama Update no. 24 (September-October). http:www.nonviolence.orgforpanama10.htm.Google Scholar
Garvin, Glenn. 1997. U.S. Troops to Run Panama Drug Center. Miami Herald, December 24: 10A.Google Scholar
Moreno, Humberto. 1995. Repercusiones del cierre de las bases militares norteamericanas sobre la economía Panameña. In Las bases militares y el desarrollo nacional, vol. 2. Panama City : Instituto del Canal de Panamá y Estudios Internacionales, Universidad de Panamá.Google Scholar
Muller, Edward N., Thomas, O. Jukam, and Mitchell, A. Seligson 1982. Diffuse Political Support and Antisystem Political Behavior: a Comparative Analysis. American Journal of Political Science 26 (May: 240–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nie, Norman H., and Kristi, Andersen. 1974. Mass Belief Systems Revisited: Political Change and Attitude Structure. Journal of Politics 36, 3: 540–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nunn, Clyde, and Williams, J. Allen 1978. Tolerance for Nonconformity San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Partido Democrático Cristiano (PDC) 1992. High-ranking official. Confidential author interview. Panama City, October 28.Google Scholar
El Panamá América (Panama City). 1995. Propuesta sobre bases se hará en noviembre. http:www.epasa.com. (7 October).Google Scholar
El Panamá América (Panama City). 1996. El país camina por rumbo equivado. http:www.epasa.com. (18 September).Google Scholar
El Panamá América (Panama City). 1997. 55% de los panameños rechazan la reelección. http:www.epasa.com. (12 June).Google Scholar
El Panamá América (Panama City). 1998. El pulso de Panamá, http:www.epasa.com. (11 February): 1A.Google Scholar
Peffley, Mark, and Jon, Hurwitz. 1985. A Hierarchical Model of Attitude Constraint. American Journal of Political Science 29: 871–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pérez, Orlando J. 1996. Elites, Power, and Ideology: the Struggle for Democracy in Panama. Ph.D. diss., University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
La Prensa (Panama City). 1998. Cma es una traición a Panamá. http:www.sinfo.netprensatrasfon.htm. (February 3).Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 1976. The Comparative Study of Political Elites Englewood Cliffs : Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
República de Panama. Dirección de Planificación. Tribunal Electoral. 1994. Estadísticas electorales, elecciones generales del 8 de mayo de 1994. July. Appendix.Google Scholar
Rohter, Lawrence. 1998. Ruling Party in Panama Is Profiting from Canal. New York times http:archive.nytimes.com. (20 September).Google Scholar
Ropp, Steve. 1992. Explaining the Long-Term Maintenance of a Military Regime: Panama before the U.S. Invasion. World Politics 44, 2: 210–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scranton, Margaret E. 1991. The Noriega Years: U.S.-Panamanian Relations, 1981–1990 Boulder : Lynne Rienner.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peffley, Mark 1993. Consolidation and Imposition: Panama's 1992 Referendum. Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 35, 3 (Fall): 65–102.Google Scholar
Peffley, Mark 1995. Panama's First Post-Transition Election. Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 37, 1 (Spring): 69–100.Google Scholar
Seligson, Mitchell A. 1983. On the Measurement of Diffuse Support: Some Evidence from Mexico. Social Indicators Research 12 (January: 1–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simon, Rita. 1974. Public Opinion in America, 1936–1970 Chicago : Rand McNally.Google Scholar
U.S. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. 1997. The Future of U.S. Military Presence in Panama Staff report. 105th Congress, 1st Session. Washington, Dc.Google Scholar
Wittkopf, Eugene R. 1987. Elites and Masses: Another Look at Attitudes toward America's World Role. International Studies Quarterly 31, 2: 131–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yates, Lawrence A. 1992a. Planning: Operation Just Cause, December 1989. In Combined Arms in Battle Since 1939, ed. Roger, J. Spiller Fort Leavenworth , KS : U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Press. 197–204.Google Scholar
Yates, Lawrence A. 1992b. Political Factors: The U.S.-Panama Crisis, 1987–1990. In Combined Arms in Battle Since 1939, ed. Roger, J. Spiller Fort Leavenworth , KS : U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Press. 205–11.Google Scholar