This book explores the extent and significance of the transformation of the Organisation of American States since 1991: its roots, the reasons for and extent of its emergence, and the role that the organisation currently plays in the promotion of regional governance in the two key issue-areas of security and the defense and promotion of democratic norms and principles of good governance. By assessing where the OAS has succeeded and failed, Horwitz provides an in-depth explanation of how cooperation and consensus works in the Inter-American system.

Betty Horwitz attended Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, graduating in 1979 with a BA in Social Sciences and a major in Sociology. She is a 2001 graduate of the Master of Arts and Liberal Studies (MALS) Program, and earned a PhD in International Studies in May 2007, both from the University of Miami.

Glossary; Chapter 1: The Role of the Organization of American States in the Promotion of a Multilateral Framework for Regional Governance; Chapter 2: The Inter-American System: A History; Chapter 3: The Emergence of Consensus around Democratic Institutions and Shared Norms during the period of 1991 to 2005; Chapter 4: Collective Security in the Western Hemisphere; Chapter 5: Good Governance in the Western Hemisphere; Chapter 6: Conclusions; Appendix A; Appendix B; Bibliography