The North American Competitiveness Council provided a report on April 22 at the North American Leaders Summit in New Orleans. The report argues that government and business leaders must work harder to broaden public understanding of the benefits that flow from liberalized trade and investment within North America.
While at a New Orleans summit, leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States responded to recent criticism of NAFTA by lauding the trade deal. They also touched on immigration and border security.
In an op-ed for the Washington Times, Shankar Singham—a partner with global law firm and COA member Squire Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P. —warns against anti-free trade rhetoric utilized in current U.S. presidential campaigns. "Those political candidates who have hidden behind trade as the primary reason for economic anxiety are hiding voters from the truth of the new global economy," writes Singham.
AS/COA Director of Policy Jason Marczak asks "Yahoo! Respuestas" users how they believe the U.S. primary process could be changed to boost voter participation. Through a partnership with Yahoo, contributers to Americas Quarterly and News & Views regularly pose questions related to policy in the Western Hemisphere.
Without comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, U.S. states are now passing their own legislation. In the first of a series of U.S. immigration updates, AS/COA outlines how new state laws affect public benefits, employment, and identification.
Presidents of the Americas joined world leaders for the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA). Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened debate, calling for a 2012 environmental conference in Rio. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet made the case for her nation to hold a UN Human Rights Council seat and President Evo Morales of Bolivia proposed the UN convene a forum for indigenous peoples. AS/COA hosted several Latin American leaders, including Bachelet and Morales, during the week of UNGA.
As the U.S. presidential campaign gets underway, AS/COA takes stock of public vs. private political party financing across the Americas. Television advertising is the largest campaign expenditure, but many countries provide a minimum of free TV and radio time.
