This book discusses the development of Canadian political economy through the legacy of Stephen Clarkson, who for over 40 years analyzed the challenges that economic changes brought to the economic governance of Canada, North America, and the world. Tracing the main themes of Clarkson scholarship, it explores in four sections how changes in the global economy, such as regional and inter-regional trade agreements, impact the political economy of Canada and North America, the focus of most of Clarkson's works, without leaving aside the rest of the world. The book is divided in four main sections that correspond to Clarkson's scholarly contributions. The epilogue takes a personal tone and presents how the legacy of Stephen Clarkson serves as an inspiration for scholars facing a different world.

In the post-NAFTA era, Canada and Mexico face dramatic and irreversible changes from the Bush revolution in foreign public policy, the rising economic power of China and India, new concerns about border security and human rights, and the trends of economic integration. The essays in "Big Picture Realities: Canada and Mexico at the Crossroads" address the sea change in the political economic order of North America and chronicle the attempts of Canada and Mexico, two very different societies, to come to terms with the accumulated and often contradictory effects of micro and macro changes.

Contributors are Canadian and Mexican scholars and leading authorities in security, immigration, human rights, foreign policy, Canada-Mexico relations, and market integration. This book is particularly valuable for public policy experts and scholars and students in international relations.

Series Information:
Governance and Change in the Global Era

This text challenges the popular view that globalization threatens the nation-state in determining national policy. It examines the fundamental issue of competitiveness and market power in an increasingly borderless and co-dependent world. Despite this increased threat to the nation-state as an effective manager of the national economy, the authors argue that there are a number of options and alternatives open to governments to protect themselves from the global business cycle.

This work challenges the popular view that globalization threatens the role of the nation-state in determining national policy. It examines the fundamental issue of competitiveness and market power in an increasingly borderless and co-dependent world. Despite this increased threat to the nation-state as an effective manager of the national economy, the authors argue that there are a number of options and alternatives open to governments to protect themselves from the global business cycle.

During the global economic crisis of 2008, countries around the world used national policy spaces to respond to the economic crisis in ways that shed new light on the possibilities for linkages between international trade and human rights. This book introduces the idea of policy space as an innovative way to reframe recent developments in global governance. It brings together a wide-ranging group of leading experts in international law, trade, human rights, political economy, international relations, and public policy who have been asked to reflect on this important development in globalization. Their multidisciplinary contributions provide explanations for why the global landscape for national policy space has changed, clearly illustrate instances of this change, and project the future paths for policy development in social and economic policy spaces, especially with reference to linkages between international trade and human rights in countries from the Global North as well as Brazil, China, and India.

During the global economic crisis of 2008, countries around the world used national policy spaces to respond to the crisis in ways that shed new light on the possibilities for linkages between international trade and human rights. This book introduces the idea of policy space as an innovative way to reframe recent developments in global governance. It brings together a wide-ranging group of leading experts in international law, trade, human rights, political economy, international relations, and public policy who have been asked to reflect on this important development in globalization. Their multidisciplinary contributions provide explanations for the changing global landscape for national policy space, clearly illustrate instances of this change, and project the future paths for policy development in social and economic policy spaces, especially with reference to linkages between international trade and human rights in countries from the Global North as well as Brazil, China, and India.