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Empire, Public Goods, and the Roosevelt Corollary

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  • MITCHENER, KRIS JAMES
  • WEIDENMIER, MARC

Abstract

In 1904 the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine proclaimed that the United States would intervene in the affairs of unstable Central American and Caribbean countries that did not pay their debts. We find that the average sovereign debt price for countries under the U.S. “sphere of influence†rose by 74 percent in response to the pronouncement and actions to make it credible. We use this policy change to show that the United States subsequently acted as a regional hegemon and provided the global public goods of increased financial stability and peace. Reduced conflict spurred export growth and better fiscal management, but debt settlements were driven primarily by gunboat diplomacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitchener, Kris James & Weidenmier, Marc, 2005. "Empire, Public Goods, and the Roosevelt Corollary," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 65(3), pages 658-692, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:65:y:2005:i:03:p:658-692_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim Oosterlinck & Loredana Ureche-Rangau & Jacques-Marie Vaslin, 2013. "Waterloo: a Godsend for French Public Finances?," Working Papers 0041, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    2. Antonio Tena‐Junguito & Maria Isabel Restrepo‐Estrada, 2023. "Power politics and the expansion of US exports, 1879–1938," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 76(4), pages 1051-1073, November.
    3. Adolfo Meisel Roca & Julio E. Romero Prieto, 2017. "La mortalidad de la Guerra de los Mil Días, 1899-1902," Cuadernos de Historia Económica 15452, Banco de la República, Economía Regional.
    4. della Paolera, Gerardo & Taylor, Alan M., 2013. "Sovereign debt in Latin America, 1820-1913," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(2), pages 173-217, September.
    5. Leonardo Martinez & Francisco Roch & Francisco Roldán & Jeromin Zettelmeyer, 2023. "Sovereign debt," Chapters, in: Refet S. Gürkaynak & Jonathan H. Wright (ed.), Research Handbook of Financial Markets, chapter 17, pages 378-405, Edward Elgar Publishing.
      • Leonardo Martinez & Francisco Roch & Francisco Roldan & Jeromin Zettelmeyer, 2022. "Sovereign Debt," Working Papers 167, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
      • Mr. Leonardo Martinez & Mr. Francisco Roch & Francisco Roldán & Mr. Jeromin Zettelmeyer, 2022. "Sovereign Debt," IMF Working Papers 2022/122, International Monetary Fund.
    6. Chitu, Liva & Eichengreen, Barry & Mehl, Arnaud, 2012. "When did the dollar overtake sterling as the leading international currency? Evidence from the bond markets (revised)," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt3v03b36h, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    7. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, 2013. "Sovereign Risk," Chapters, in: Andreas Dombret & Otto Lucius (ed.), Stability of the Financial System, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Masaki Nakabayashi, 2014. "Imposed Efficiency of Treaty Ports: Japanese Industrialization and Western Imperialist Institutions," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 254-271, May.
    9. Hauner, Thomas & Milanovic, Branko & Naidu, Suresh, 2017. "Inequality, Foreign Investment, and Imperialism," MPRA Paper 83068, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Alan Martina, 2007. "A Class of Poverty Traps: A Theory and Empirical Tests," ANU Working Papers in Economics and Econometrics 2007-482, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics.
    11. Kim Oosterlinck, 2013. "Sovereign Debt Defaults: Insights from History," Post-Print CEB, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 29(4), pages 697-714.
    12. Glaser, Darrell J. & Rahman, Ahmed S., 2016. "Ex Tridenti Mercatus? Sea-power and maritime trade in the age of globalization," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 95-111.
    13. Meissner, Christopher M., 2014. "Growth from Globalization? A View from the Very Long Run," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 8, pages 1033-1069, Elsevier.
    14. Burdekin, Richard C.K., 2006. "Bondholder gains from the annexation of Texas and implications of the US bailout," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 646-666, October.
    15. Chiţu, Livia & Eichengreen, Barry & Mehl, Arnaud, 2014. "When did the dollar overtake sterling as the leading international currency? Evidence from the bond markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 225-245.
    16. Mitchener, Kris James & Weidenmier, Marc D., 2010. "Supersanctions and sovereign debt repayment," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 19-36, February.
    17. Christopher J. Coyne & Steve Davies, 2007. "Empire: Public Goods and Bads," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 4(1), pages 3-45, January.
    18. Schularick, Moritz & Steger, Thomas M., 2008. "The Lucas Paradox and the quality of institutions: then and now," Discussion Papers 2008/3, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.

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