Although not usually considered one of the major players in Wetern hemispheric affairs, the Dominican Republic offers the student and professional interested in Latin America a nearby "laboratory" in which to study the effects of dictatorship, economic intervention, and revolutionary change. The Dominican Republic is also at the center of North-South, East-West currents swirling through the Caribbean Basin. This comprehensive study interweaves the complex interrelations between the international scene and the internal character and development of Dominican national life.
