Senator Jesse Helms and Conservative Foreign Policy in Central America, 1972-1992

This thesis examines the policies of Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) toward Central America between 1972 and 1992, focusing on El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. It places the senator within the context of several historiographies, including the rise of modern American conservatism, Latin America’s Cold War, and the role of Congress and congressional entrepreneurs in the formulation of foreign policy. In doing so, it rejects the idea of a uniform conservative foreign policy in the late Cold War, and adds to literature that points out the often-fractious relationships among conservatives over how to reconcile principle and the realities of government. Helms emerges as a resolute protector of a principled conservative international agenda, doing so through a campaign of entrepreneurship that enjoyed considerable successes while also suffering notable failures.