Syllabus
Summer 2008
Assignments:
1. Review of Opening Mexico (no more than 1500 words) and an assessment of changes since its publication in 2004 in light of the new governments. Note especially the work of Dan Lund (on list and other Policy Reports by him) and Mexico: Special Report, by FT. Assess the consequences for the prescriptions of Farrell, Puron, and Remes for Mexican development. Due May 17 by hard copy upon arrival in Mexico City. 25%
2. A paper (no longer than 5,000 words) on an issue covered during the Mexico program, selected by the student in consultation with Professor Rogowsky before or during the program, to be submitted to by June 29. Students are free to choose a topic relevant to any theme or issue that was addressed during the program in Mexico. Or, it can be a case study of a business that has entered the Mexican market. Students are encouraged to write on a subject matter related to their degree concentration. 40%
3. Class participation. You will be expected to be a lively, engaged participant, who demonstrates a familiarity with all assigned readings. We want our speakers to go away with the highest opinion of George Mason and SPP. 25%
4. Working in small groups (assigned during the trip), students will devise a comprehensive proposal for reframing or reasserting an American foreign policy toward Mexico on two key issues: productivity and deregulation. Groups will defend their proposals at the June 9th class, as if they were briefing a new Secretary of Commerce and the new Director of NAFIN, Mexico’s Industrial Development Bank. Your policy proposals will be graded for their perceptiveness and your presentation for its quality. There will be no written component. 10%
Articles and Papers
William Lewis, "The Power of Productivity: Poor countries should put their consumers first." The McKinsey Quarterly, 2004 Number 2
Sidney Weintraub, “Dealing with Neighbors,” CSIS, at http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/issues200803.pdf
Farrell, Puron, Remes, “Beyond Cheap Labor: What does a developing country like Mexico do to compete with China?” McKinsey Quarterly, at http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1545
“Mexico, Special Report,” Financial Times, December 12, 2007 [provided]
Writings of Dan Lund, at Policy Bulletins from www.mundgroup.com; including
Daniel M. Lund, "Social Mobility and Electoral Politics in Mexico: fear and hope in the economically and politically active lower middle class" Mund Americas Opinion Report, Number 6, August 17, 2006
Daniel M. Lund, "Latin American Democracy and the alternation of parties in power"
Mund Opinion and Report, Number 20, December 12, 2006
Daniel M. Lund, "The emerging strategies for the new [Mexican] administration ..."
Mund Opinion and Policy Report, Series 7 Number 3, January 24, 2007
NEW Daniel M. Lund, " Public opinion and the great policy issues" Opinion and Policy Report,
Series 8 Number 14, May 22, 2008
Sandra Polaski, “Mexican Employment, Productivity and Income a Decade after NAFTA”, http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1473&prog=zgp&proj=zted
Doing Business in Mexico, World Bank, (pages 1-18) at http://www.doingbusiness.org/Documents/Reports_07/DB2007_Mexico_English.pdf
General Readings
Roderic Ai Camp, Politics in Mexico: The Democratic Consolidation (2006) [esp. chapters 1-4, 6, 9, 10]
J. Preston and S. Dillon, Opening Mexico
Case Study: Wal-Mart (Booz-Allen)
Specialized readings as interest pulls you:
NAFTA at 10—Point--Counterpoint:
Jeff Faux-- http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_viewpoints_nafta_legacy_at10
USTR-- http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Trade_Agreements/Regional/NAFTA/asset_upload_file606_3595.pdf
Betty Ramos, Negotiating Cultural Barriers: A guide to intercultural communications, provided
Demographics in Mexico(Center for Strategic and International Studies) : http://www.csis.org/gai/041029_transcript.pdf
Mary Tiemann; “NAFTA: Related Environmental Issues and Initiatives.” Cong.Res.Svc. March 2004.
http://www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRS/abstract.cfm?NLEid=15870
Environmental Case Studies:
Trade Environmental Database (American University)
http://search.freefind.com /find.html?id=16142557&pid=r&mode=ALL&t=s&query=MExico
U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Water Management,
The Case of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo: Recommendations for Policymakers for the Medium and Long Term,
by US-Mexico Binational Council , January 2003
http://www.csis.org/americas/mexico/binational_council.pdf
