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Based on the approach of security governance, this paper presents the evolution of North America from as a region guided it by an economic rational, namely NAFTA, to an area in which security concerns have played a more relevant role in the regional agend ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American economic integration is characterized by deep structural integration. Many North American firms and industries have created complex cross-border production systems that build on regionalization specialization. The cumulative result of cross-border trade and investment is for most practical purposes an integrated economy. This degree of collaboration and complementarity between countries is unprecedented, a new system with levels of integration that often surpass that of the European Union. Building this North American economic system was very much a bottom-up process, driven largely by firms and markets. The flexibility of this process, with little government control, encouraged rapid economic growth and job creation.But we now confront limits to bottom-up growth. Further integration is blocked in some areas, while in others, patterns of interests and government policies create inefficiencies. We can no longer assume that spillover from economic integration will be automatic or efficient. Import tariffs were reduced and eliminated on many commodities, but other barriers continue to impede trade.In critical areas, and not only 9-11 border issues, but transportation infrastructure, energy, migration, trade-dispute resolution, regulatory harmonization and education--new public policy decisions are now required. What is needed, moreover, are not discrete national policies but rather some sort of North American solutions that appropriately reflect North American problems. The paper will look both at alternatives for such policies and at various means of arriving at policy decisions within the North American community. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that an analysis of business-government relationships is essential for understanding processes of “governance” in North America. We demonstrate the instrumental role of “big business” in Canada and Mexico during two important moments in the evolution of North American governance: first, in the negotiation of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA, 1986-1988) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, 1991-1992); and, second, in the processes leading up to and during the negotiation of “smart borders” following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. We argue that the entering into, as well as the very CUFTA/NAFTA and “smart border” negotiations themselves, and their outcomes, are incomprehensible without a proper understanding of the private sector role. We conclude with some reflections on the implications of our analysis for thinking about the theme of this conference; namely, the North-South divide and International Studies. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across various regions and international regimes, what can be conceptualized as multilevel political opportunity structures have emerged, with non-state actors finding new opportunities to engage in collective action and make claims against elites and ins ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was created among expectations that it would help control negative environmental consequences of increased trade between Canada, Mexico, and the US. This presentation considers the legacy of the CEC ten years after its creation. The first part of the presentation analyzes the development and performance of the CEC within the context of regional and domestic changes in North America under NAFTA. The second part seeks to extract some lessons useful to the discussion of trade and environmental protection in North America. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]