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United States–Mexico: The Convergence of Public Policy Views in the Post‐9/11 World
Author(s) -
Valeriano Brandon,
Powers Matthew
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
policy studies journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1541-0072
pISSN - 0190-292X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-0072.2010.00382.x
Subject(s) - realm , convergence (economics) , terrorism , political science , immigration policy , immigration , context (archaeology) , public opinion , public policy , foreign policy , political economy , state (computer science) , democracy , development economics , public administration , economic growth , economics , politics , geography , law , archaeology , algorithm , computer science
This article explores the state of public policy preferences between the United States and Mexico in the realm of foreign policy in the context of the post‐9/11 world, democratic change within Mexico, and the immigration protests within the United States. Specifically, we will analyze the differences and possible convergence of public policy views on the issues of terrorism, immigration, free trade agreements, drug trafficking, and foreign policy. We find that although there are differences of opinion, particularly in the application of force in Iraq and on the benefits of free trade, there still remains a significant degree of positive convergence within the policy issues of terrorism, immigration, and drug trafficking. Although there are institutional impediments to progressive policy change, future relations between the United States and Mexico do not need to be contentious as long as the focus is on the similarities, rather than the differences, in public preferences between the populations of the two states.