21st Century American Foreign Policy

Dr. Bruce W. Jentleson

Unit 5The Americas:

Relations with Latin America and Canada

5A: Historical Background5B: US and Cuba

5C: US, Mexico and Canada5D: Contemporary Overview

North America

5C: US, Mexico and Canada

• I. “North America”, NAFTA

• II. Relations with Mexico

• III. Relations with Canada

I. “North America”, NAFTA

• North America as a sub-region w/in Western Hemisphere• NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

– US debate on approval, 1993• Freer trade area, 444 million people, producing $17 trillion worth

of goods and services • Job losses, environmental costs • Approved by Congress

– House of Representatives: 234-200, Senate 61-38, bipartisan • Mexico and Canada each had their own pro-con debates

• Impact? – Increased trade: e.g., US exports to Mexico tripled– One study: wage gains in all three countries– Another study: major US job losses

II. US Relations with Mexico

• History (5A): war, US intervention, other tensions, some cooperation

• “The two countries share a 2000 mile border, and relations between the two have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans – whether the issue is trade and economic reform, homeland security, drug control, migration or the environment.”

US State Department website

Immigration• More than 32 million U.S. residents are of Mexican origin;

equals about 60% of all Latinos in US and 10% total US population: legal and illegal immigrants

• Political controversies for close to 30 years• Local level abuses: Arizona sheriff “show me your papers”,

racial profiling

• Obama policy in his first term: combination of stricter enforcement and more opportunity

DREAM Act: path to legal residency especially for youth and students • 2012 Presidential election

– Romney and other Republican candidates hard-line, bashing– Barack Obama wins over 70% Hispanic vote– Hispanics a growing part of the American electorate: 6% (2000) to 10% (2012)

• Immigration reform bill currently in Congress– Passed Senate, bipartisan support– Blocked in House of Representatives (largely Republican opposition)

• Drugs (more on overall “drug wars” in next lecture 5D)– By mid-2000s over 90% of cocaine coming into US transiting through

Mexico– Drug cartels armed like paramilitaries– 2006-12 almost 50,000 people killed – Cross-border effects into US as well

• Merida Initiative, joint program– Some success: arrests increased, some cartels broken up, tons seized– But still violence raged and extensive corruption– Guns coming from US

• Counter-terrorism, border security• Diplomatic issues

– Allies– Day to day working together

– Differences over Cuba– Opposition to the 2003 Iraq war

• Mexican politics– President Enrique Peña Nieto, 2012 : six year term, one term only – Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI, Partido Revolucionario,

Institucional)• PRI in power for over 70 years, until 2000 Party, National Action Party (PAN, Partido

Acción Nacional)

III. Relations with Canada

• 5500 mile border, longest in world• #1 US trade partner• #1 energy supplier (all sources)• Over 300,000 people daily cross-border traffic

• History here too: War of 1812, border treaties 1817-18• Acid rain issue• Opposed 2003 Iraq war• Supported 1990-91 Gulf War and Afghanistan war

• For most part very close and friendly relations• Canada member of NATO • NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command)• Bilateral free trade agreement before trilateral NAFTA • Counter-terrorism cooperation

• Canadian foreign policy, a global leader on multilateralism• UN peacekeeping: e.g., General Romeo Dallaire warnings

about the coming genocide in Rwanda 1993-94• “Responsibility to Protect”• Originator of the G-20

Citations• Map of North America:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/txu-oclc-71353734-north_america_pol_2006.jpg. Public Domain, US government.