Haiti: Trapped in the Outer Periphery

by Robert Fatton Jr.

The inability of the Haitian state to deal with the devastation of the January 2010 earthquake brought into sharp focus Haiti’s desperate social and economic conditions―and raised perplexing questions. What accounts for the country’s continuing predicament? Why have repeated attempts at democratic governance failed so abysmally? And what role has the international community played? Addressing these questions, Robert Fatton focuses on Haiti’s long history of predatory rule and also introduces the concept of the outer periphery to explore the impact of a world economy shaped by neoliberal policies. The result is an insightful analysis of contemporary Haitian politics and society with significant implications for the broader study of comparative politics.

227 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good usage of world systems analysis to describe the situation of the absolute poorest countries of the "outer periphery", in this case Haiti. Fatton proposes that an agricultural economy focused on production for domestic consumption would fare the country better than the "Haiti is open for business" textile factories that the United States has been pushing for over 40 years now. Especially useful for understanding the cycles Haiti has gone into during and after the Martelly years, after this book was written.