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The Ideology of Economic Science in the Selling of NAFTA: the political economy of elite decision Making James M. Cyphery The author is Professor of Economics at California State University, Fresno, California. Introduction The efforts of the U.S. and Mexican governments and large corporations on either side of the border to "dell" a fictitious version of Mexico to the U. S. public have been, since 1988, without president in the history of US -Mexico relations. Of note has been the estimated $56 million which the Mexican government has spent on lobbying and public relations within the U. S. from 1990-1992 in order to promote the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). (Rebollo Y Rodriguez, 1993, 10) Some observers believe that Mexico's lobbying efforts within the US are the largest ever by foreign power. (Vita, 1993,B1) Current estimates for 1993 suggest that US corporations and the Mexican Government will spend in excess of $100 million in their effort to finalize the NAFTA. Meanwhile, Mexican political scientist Jorge Castañeda has charged that Mexico's record 1992 trade deficit (nearly 7% of GDP) was the result of a conscious effort on the part of the Mexican government to enable pro-NAFTA elements in the US. -including two U. S. job creating benefits enhanced trade with Mexico. |
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