Rebordering of North America: Integration and Exclusion in a New Security Context, The

Latin American Politics and Society, Summer 2004 by Olney, Patricia

The volume thus leaves a few unanswered questions. For example, it is never clear why "smart border" policies that permit "low-risk" goods and people to cross borders easily would make a foolproof component of effective border security. It seems likely that clandestine groups would find ways of enlisting the help of those who could cross the border without inspection. An additional contradiction arises between the conclusions that predict the predominance of bilateral relationships in U.S. foreign policy and those that emphasize an increase in regional cooperation and the effective emergence of what Biersteker calls the region-state. It is never clear why a region where multilateralism has broken down in favor of U.S. unilateralism and Canadian and Mexican adaptation would be moving simultaneously toward greater multilateralism and institutionalism. At times, these are presented as alternative scenarios, but often they are presented as simultaneous trends, which is confusing.

None of these puzzles detract from the contribution this volume makes as a guide to understanding the future of regional integration. It will interest policymakers and scholars concerned with the relationship between economic and military security interests in any of the three North American countries, as well as with border issues in general. It would serve as an excellent text in undergraduate and graduate courses in interamerican studies or any subject touching on North American politics in the post-9/11 world.

Patricia Olney

Southern Connecticut State University