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What's a banana republic? A political scientist explains

  • Written by Matthew Wilson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina
imageU.S. banana growers heavily influenced several Central American governments in the early 20th century.George Rinhart/Getty Images

When someone mentions a “banana republic,” they’re referring to a small, poor, politically unstable country that is weak because of an excessive reliance on one crop and foreign funding.

The term...

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