Civil Society and NAFTA: Initial Results

Abstract

This article attempts to examine the initial results of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is a preliminary review of examples of the successes and the failures of this historic agreement. The review leads to the conclusion that NAFTA has not been as successful as many had hoped. The usual economic reason given is the devaluation of the peso, but in this article, it is argued that the devaluation was the result of not only economic conditions but also cultural ones. The lack of intermediate groups between the state and the family as well as the lack of social capital has played a significant role in the economic development (or lack thereof) of Mexico. If NAFTA is to succeed, it may be that more attention must be given to creating the civil society.