Activists, Alliances, and Anti-U.S. Base Protests: (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

Anti-U.S. base protests, played out in parliaments and the streets of host nations, continue to arise in different parts of the world. In a novel approach, this book examines the impact of anti-base movements and the important role bilateral alliance relationships play in shaping movement outcomes. The author explains not only when and how anti-base movements matter, but also how host governments balance between domestic and international pressure on base-related issues. Drawing on interviews with activists, politicians, policy makers and U.S. base officials in the Philippines, Japan (Okinawa), Ecuador, Italy and South Korea, the author finds that the security and foreign policy ideas held by host government elites act as a political opportunity or barrier for anti-base movements, influencing their ability to challenge overseas U.S. basing policies.

Table of Contents:
1. Activists, alliances and the politics of overseas U.S. bases; 2. Anti-base movements and the security consensus framework; 3. Under a weak security consensus: Philippine anti-base movements, 1990–1991; 4. The U.S.-Japan alliance and anti-base movements in Okinawa, 1995–1996; 5. Anti-base movements in Ecuador and Italy; 6. South Korean anti-base movements and the resilience of the security consensus; 7. Alliance relations and the security consensus across time; 8. Activists, alliances and the future of U.S. basing strategy.

About the Author :
Andrew Yeo is Assistant Professor of Politics at the Catholic University of America. His broad research interests lie at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics. His other works have appeared in Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly and the Journal of East Asian Studies. He received his PhD in Government from Cornell University.

Review :
“Andrew Yeo has written a fascinating book, sweeping in scope and bold in conception. The issue of maintaining America's forward presence in a rapidly changing international environment has attracted much attention in recent years, but to date there has been no study as thorough as this one. It is sure to be of great interest to scholars, policy makers and students of international affairs.” – Thomas Berger, Boston University “Andrew Yeo’s careful study explains the success and failure of a variety of social movements opposed to U.S. overseas military bases. The breadth and depth of the domestic elite security consensus determines the political opportunities activists have to influence national governments over basing policies. His spare but supple argument provides powerful leverage over diverse cases, from several Asian country contexts to Italy and Ecuador.” – Josh Busby, University of Texas, Austin “Fostering a productive dialogue between social movement theory and the traditional literature on security alliances, Yeo provides a helpful framework for understanding the mobilization of anti-base movements and the types of political pressure that they exert on elites and security decision-makers in countries that host US military facilities.” – Alexander Cooley, Barnard College, Columbia University “Andrew Yeo shows that the politics of military force is more about politics than force. The local and transnational politics of US foreign military bases will be critical in both international and domestic politics. The United States still maintains hundreds of overseas bases at great cost. It’s not surprising that they often provoke intense opposition; anti-base activists, Yeo shows, do best when they are able to exploit rifts in the elite security consensus. Both supporters and opponents will want to read this book to understand how to be more effective. And everyone else will benefit from seeing how American security interests develop at the intersection of movement politics and international relations.” – David S. Meyer, University of California, Irvine