Matching Items (3)
Description
The current immigration flow to the United States from Mexico has been polarized by politicians and anti-immigration groups, with a rhetoric that immigrants are a danger to the sovereignty of the country and an economic burden. These accusations ignore the role played by trade agreements in causing such migration patterns by displacing Mexican migrants and how U.S. immigration policies subsequently condemn these economically displaced migrants into illegality. This thesis examines the role national governments and laws of both the United States and Mexico play in formalizing the undocumented flow and the contestation of these economic migrants. I challenge the contemporary view of trade agreements as pull factors by showing how they also function as problematic push factors of migration through displacing Mexicans from their land and any meaningful form of economic security. Once displaced, these communities seek opportunities by migrating to the U.S., where they cross into illegality. Together, examining displacement and subsequent illegality, this thesis reveals the problematic, yet hidden role played by trade agreements in Mexican migration to the U.S. and gaps in current U.S. immigration laws that has preserved the injustices created when neoliberal economic policies and immigration politics provide no protection to impacted indigenous communities.
ContributorsValenzuela, Cinthia (Author) / Colbern, Allan (Thesis advisor) / Comstock, Audrey (Committee member) / Elenes, C Alejandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
This paper examines the ISDS provision, which is a part of a growing number of investment treaties and trade agreements. I define ISDS itself, the idea and purpose, and how it began a few centuries ago to its modern evolved version. I take a look at the recent trends and discover its growth in usage over the past two decades. I analyze the results of ISDS decisions that state the most common winner of claims is the respondent, or sued government. The texts of the trade agreements NAFTA and TPP are examined closely. While the NAFTA was the introduction of ISDS in a major international agreement, the scope of its usage and its effect on countries was more reflected in the TPP. I study the impact of ISDS provisions on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows; multiple papers suggest the impact to be positive. But there are many elements related to ISDS that affect FDI like the strength of the ISDS provisions, characteristics of the host country, the status of the treaty in question, and the time period. Weaker provisions are shown to affect FDI flows on a greater scale, stronger provisions have a significant impact given the treaty or agreement in question is ratified. Additionally, agreements signed or ratified in the past 14 years have more impact on FDI, except for those with strong provisions in signed agreements. Also, weaker form provisions have a larger impact on FDI flows into developed, less developed, OECD, and non-OECD countries but stronger ISDS only meaningfully impacts developed countries. Lastly, several noteworthy cases are discussed that have had varying results. Limits of arbitration have been tested resulting in decades long litigation, investors have taken advantage of ISDS; countries' laws have been protected by ISDS; awards to investors are almost always much smaller than their claimed compensations.
ContributorsWakankar, Sharang (Author) / Goegan, Brian (Thesis director) / Hill, Kent (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Mining is a key component of both the Brazilian and Chilean economies and accounts for an outsized share of these countries’ exports. Yet, it is a common target for environmental criticism, especially due to its impacts on local populations and ecosystems. Brazil and Chile have adopted markedly different trade strategies over the past three decades, most notably with regards to their involvement in international trade agreements. This paper investigates how these differences in trade policy since 1990 have affected the sustainability of each country’s mining sector by identifying and comparing the channels through which free trade agreements influence the environmental impacts of resource extraction.
ContributorsKopek, Justin (Author) / Sheriff, Glenn (Thesis director) / Goodman, Glen (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2023-05