Suchergebnisse

This title tells the story of the making of modern Mexico through the vast economic, political, social, and security transformations of the last three decades. Laying out what this means for the United States, it provides a roadmap for the greatest overlooked foreign policy challenge of the contemporary era - US relations with its southern neighbour.

Just over a year ago, as President Enrique Pena Nieto started his administration, the domestic and international press were touting 'Mexico's moment' and the rise of 'the Aztec tiger.' Now, the naysayers have returned. Their pessimism stems in part from disappointing economic results: Mexico's GDP growth has fallen, from nearly four percent in 2012 to around an estimated one percent in 2013. The negativity also reflects the impatience of pundits and markets, as the economic dividends from Pena Nieto's ambitious economic reform agenda have yet to appear. Adapted from the source document.

"North America was once called the New World. The people, their ideas, and the resources of the continent shaped the histories of the Old World -- East and West. Today, North America is home to almost five hundred million people living in three vibrant democracies. If the three North American countries deepen their integration and cooperation, they have the potential to again shape world affairs for generations to come ... The people of North America are creating a shared culture. It is not a common culture, because citizens of the United States, Canada, and Mexico are proud of their distinctive identities. Yet when viewed from a global perspective, the similarities in interests and outlooks are pulling North Americans together. The foundation exists for North America to foster a new model of interstate relations among neighbors, both developing and developed democracies. Now is the moment for the United States to break free from old foreign policy biases to recognize that a stronger, more dynamic, resilient continental base will increase U.S. power globally. 'Made in North America' can be the label of the newest growth market. U.S. foreign policy -- whether drawing on hard, soft, or smart power -- needs to start with its own neighborhood"--

Ruchir Sharma ("Bearish on Brazil," May/June 2012) argues that Brazil's incredible rise over the past ten years has depended on the sale of commodities, and that as commodity markets begin to slow, so, too, will Brazil's growth. Sharma correctly notes that in the coming years, Brazil will likely need to confront a decline in commodity purchases from China. But he fails to recognize that economic stability has also driven Brazil's growth. Throughout the late twentieth century, Brazil suffered from failed stabilization policies and devastating bouts of hyperinflation. In 1994, however, Brazil introduced a new currency, the real, which has kept inflation in check. Around this time, the government also began lowering tariffs, opening up markets, and privatizing industries, policies entrenched over the next decade by former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Brazil faces many problems, from poor education and infrastructure to a complex bureaucracy and complicated tax regulations. Adapted from the source document.