The North American Idea

A Vision of a Continental Future

Robert A. Pastor

Authoritative account of the decline of North American integration in recent years
Powerful call by one of America's leading scholars of US-Latin American relations to reinvigorate ties connecting the US, Mexico, and Canada
Compares the North American economic zone to other regional superzones of the world to show how it is falling behind economically

The North American Idea

A Vision of a Continental Future

Robert A. Pastor

Description

In its first seven years, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) tripled trade among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the region's share of the world economy grew from 30 to 36 percent. In 2001, however, North America peaked. Trade slowed among the three, manufacturing jobs shrunk, and illegal migration and drug-related violence soared. Europe caught up, and China leaped ahead.

In The North American Idea, eminent scholar and policy-maker Robert Pastor demonstrates that no two countries are more important to the U.S. economy, security, and society than Canada and Mexico. He explains that NAFTA's mandate was too limited to address the new North American agenda. Interest groups and nativism inhibited bolder proposals, and the three governments lost their way. To overcome resistance and inertia, the leaders need to start with an idea big enough to inspire people in all three countries to forge a formidable region able to compete with a dynamic East Asia. Drawing on first-hand experience as a policy-maker and analyst, Pastor shows how this idea--once woven into the national consciousness of the three countries--could mobilize public support for continental solutions to problems that have confounded each nation working on its own. To stimulate trade and reduce illegal migration, for example, the three countries should establish a fund to invest in the continent's infrastructure. Such a fund would be impossible without leadership and an idea of the continent's current importance and its future promise.

Challenging readers to view our continent in a new way, Robert Pastor offers an expansive vision and a detailed blueprint for a more integrated, dynamic, and equitable North America.

The North American Idea

A Vision of a Continental Future

Robert A. Pastor

Foreword
Part I: Should We Fear North America?
Chapter 1: A Piñata for Pandering Pundits
Chapter 2: North America's Genetic Code
Chapter 3: Who Speaks for North America?
Part II: Trespassing
Chapter 4: Transcending the Borders
Chapter 5: Speed Bumps, Potholes, and Roadblocks on the NAFTA Superhighway
Part III: The North American Imperative
Chapter 6: A North American Community - A Vision
Chapter 7: New Policies for North America's 21st Century - A Blueprint
Acknowledgements

The North American Idea

A Vision of a Continental Future

Robert A. Pastor

Author Information

Robert Pastor is Professor of International Relations and Founder and Director of the Center for North American Studies at American University. He served on the National Security Council and as a Consultant to the State and Defense Departments. He is the author of sixteen other books, including Limits to Friendship: The U.S. and Mexico, with Jorge Castañeda, and Exiting the Whirlpool: U.S. Foreign Policy to Latin America.

The North American Idea

A Vision of a Continental Future

Robert A. Pastor

Reviews and Awards

"Pastor's book constitutes a brave master plan, a bright vision to challenge and enlighten future generations.... He presses his case with intelligence and good humor, marshaling data to demonstrate that all three nations would be better off adopting cooperative solutions to common problems." --Foreign Affairs

"A 'big idea' book that no one could have written as well as Robert Pastor. He knows the substance and the sensitivities better than anyone." --Jorge Castañeda, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2000-2003)

"Pastor has done a superb job of bringing these issues to the forefront and raising insightful questions about how far the United States, Canada, and Mexico should integrate themselves. How these questions are answered will help determine the competitiveness of all three countries in the global economy."--James A. Baker III, 61st U.S. Secretary of State

"Business and boldness led Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.A. to come together in NAFTA--for economic reasons. Robert Pastor argues that our continent is much more than just an economy. He spells out both the logic, and the logistics, of making much more of the enormous potential of the North American community, while respecting national sovereignty and identity. And he poses the critical question: are we bold enough?"--The Right Honorable Joe Clark, 16th Prime Minister of Canada