Bridging the Border: Transforming Mexico-U.S. Relations

Mexico's foreign policy toward the United States is in a period of transition, sparked by the passage of NAFTA and sustained by ongoing political, economic, and environmental concerns. Here, distinguished scholars from Mexico, the U.S., and the U.K. take up questions relating to the future of Mexico-U.S. relations in crucial areas including lobbying and diplomacy, labor relations, immigration and expatriation, and international finance.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Dealing with the American Political System: An Historical Overview, 1910-1995 Chapter 3 Mexico's Foreign Policy after NAFTA: The Tools of Interdependence Chapter 4 Decentralized Diplomacy: The Role of Consular Offices in Mexico's Relations with its Diaspora Chapter 5 Foreign Policy Comes Home: The Domestic Consequences of the Program for Mexican Communities Living in Foreign Countries Chapter 6 The Rise of the Mexico Lobby in Washington: Even Further from God, and Even Closer to the United States Chapter 7 Selling Ideas, Buying Influence: Mexico and American Think Tanks in the Promotion of NAFTA Chapter 8 The Negotiations between the Mexican Government and the U.S. Financial Community: A New Interpretation Chapter 9 Discord in U.S.-Mexican Labor Relations and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation Chapter 10 Mexico's New Foreign Policy: States, Societies, and Institutions

About the Author :
Rodolfo O. de la Garza is Mike Hogg Professor of Community Affairs in the department of government at the University of Texas at Austin. Jesús Velasco is professor of political science, Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Económicas, Mexico City.

Review :
De la Garza and Velasco have done a great service in assembling a group of such able scholars to explore one new dimension of [the U.S.-Mexico] relationship-Mexico's increasing efforts to influence the United States. . . . Bridging the Border is a well-written and valuable contribution to understanding the changing phenomenon of U.S.-Mexican relations. De la Garza and Velasco have produced an important volume on Mexican-U.S. relations from the Mexican point of view, with a special emphasis on Mexican attempts to influence U.S. policy toward Mexico. Bridging the Border certainly contributes to the debate about the margins for change in US-Mexican relations. A fine contribution to the field of U.S.-Mexican relations. Given the growing interdependence between Mexico and the United States, Bridging the Border is a timely and welcome contribution to the literature on relations between these two countries. Bridging the Border is a well-written and valuable contribution to understanding the changing phenomenon of U.S.-Mexican relations.