Borders and Bridges: Canada’s Policy Relations in North America

Borders and Bridges in North America is an edited collection of essays by leading and emerging scholars from Canada and the United States that examines Canada’s policy relations within a North American context. Grounded in the idea that Canadian policy is contextual-heavily influenced by both North American and global forces-editors Monica Gattinger and Geoffrey Hale trace policy changes from the signing of CUFTA, through NAFTA and 9/11 to the present, with a principal focus on the last decade.

Looking at policy through a comparative lens, the text considers the contexts and factors that shape policy areas within Canada, the US, and Mexico, offering cross-comparisons and an in-depth look at their complex political, economic, and social relationships. Throughout individual chapters, the volume’s contributing authors discuss their specific policy areas within this ’trilateral’ or ’dual-bilateral’ framework.

Organized into three parts, the first establishes the theoretical framework for comparative analysis; the second narrows the focus to significant sectoral issues; and the third focuses on trade patterns and platforms. Sectoral subsections cover a broad range of policy areas including border management, security, the North, energy and environmental policies, immigration, labour, cultural relations, transportation, and trade.

Monica Gattinger is Associate Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa in Canada. She has written book chapters and journal articles, and has co-authored and co-edited books on Canadian and North American energy policies, and Canadian cultural policy.
Geoffrey Hale is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Lethbridge in Canada. He has published numerous articles on various aspects of Canada-U.S. relations, including issues of border management and security, and on the influence of North American integration on Canadian federalism and the policy capacity of Canadian governments. He is also author of The Politics of Taxation in Canada and Uneasy Partnership.