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52 Results
A gavel rests in front of the Mexican flag.
State-building, the Modernization of the Legal System, and Institutional Effectiveness in Mexico: Notes on the 2013–2014 Energy Reform
Nobody can ensure that the economic gamble underlying the 2013–2014 energy reform will achieve the desired or expected success. However, the author presents evidence demonstrating that Mexico has gradually been building the institutions that will be able to perform governmental operations with reasonable effectiveness.
Héctor Fix-Fierro November 14, 2017
Trucks transport cargo across the U.S.-Mexico border
Was NAFTA Good for the United States?
NAFTA has neither been the enormous success that its supporters believe, nor the disaster that its detractors claim. Renegotiating NAFTA — or even threatening to repeal it — is not a high-stakes proposition. The treaty simply does not possess the leverage to deliver a major boost or setback to the U.S. manufacturing sector. 
Tony Payan, Russell Green June 25, 2017
Drought in Iran marked by reduced vegetation.
Iran's Looming Water Bankruptcy
Iran is on the brink of “water bankruptcy” in large part because the Iranian government’s aspirations for wheat self-sufficiency are driving high agricultural water use, fellow Gabriel Collins writes in this research paper. The paper analyzes Iran’s water situation and proposes policy solutions to slow the rapid depletion of the country’s groundwater.
Gabriel Collins April 4, 2017
Drugs and a gun with money in a pile
The Victimology of Extortions in Mexico
Criminal extortion is on the rise in Mexico, particularly along the northern border states. Author Gary Hale shows how this trend has fueled government corruption, with officials implicitly or explicitly aiding organized crime groups as they extort businesses and citizens.
Gary J. Hale November 4, 2016
Multiple rows of cars lined up at the US-Mexico border.
Transit Migration in Mexico: Domestic and International Policy Implications
The recent surge in Central American migration has challenged Mexico to implement policies that uphold human rights for migrants (especially unaccompanied children) who are passing through the country while also deterring unauthorized crossings at the southern border and cracking down on human smuggling and trafficking. However, finding the appropriate balance for these policies — with a humanitarian focus on the one hand and meeting larger “security concerns” on the other hand — has been elusive for the Mexican government. This paper discusses the historical and political context of Mexico’s various policy responses to the spike in Central American migration through Mexico toward the United States and analyzes related implications for the country’s relationships with the United States and its Central American neighbors.
Robert Donnelly December 2, 2014