Transnational Threats in Latin America and the Challenges for Public Administration

Traditionally, studies of public administration have treated the nation-state as the unit of analysis. However, the state and its public administration does not exist in a vacuum, on the contrary now more than ever they are heavily influenced by international issues. Therefore, public administration in Latin America must adjust traditional practices to facilitate the management of the global processes that, in turn, reshape the world. A good example of the challenges for the Latin American states and their public administration is the so-called transnational threats, that come from a variety of sources, including people, networks, and the physical environment. These include violent extremist organisations, movement of people, cyber connectivity, and disruptive climate change. This chapter analyses the implications for transnational cooperation of governments and public administration in policymaking and implementation in such areas as drug trafficking, migration, and climate change degradation drawing examples from the countries on Latin America.