Journal Articles by Iván Farías Pelcastre
Revista de Administración Pública, 2019
Este artículo describe, analiza, y discute el funcionamiento de las Entidades Fiscalizadoras Supe... more Este artículo describe, analiza, y discute el funcionamiento de las Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores (EFS) en dos de las democracias industrializadas con economías más grandes a nivel global: Estados Unidos (EU) y Alemania. El tamaño y complejidad de las economías de estos países, los hace tanto actores preponderantes como motores económicos en y de sus respectivas regiones (América del Norte y Europa), así como en el resto del mundo. Este artículo propone analizar las acciones y roles de las entidades fiscalizadoras superiores, así como las políticas de consolidación fiscal de EU y Alemania, a fin de determinar si éstas facilitaron la recuperación económica de estos países durante y después de la crisis fiscal de 2007-2013.
Norteamérica, 2018
Most accounts in current literature on North American integration consider the implementation of ... more Most accounts in current literature on North American integration consider the implementation of side and parallel environmental agreements to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and their corresponding institutions, as either a side-effect of the pursuit of the economic interests of the national governments or the result of the successful push of the socio-environmental demands of non-governmental organisations into the NAFTA's negotiation. These opposite explanations closely resemble liberal intergovernmentalist and transnational-focused accounts used to explain the occurrence and progression of regional integration in Europe. This article reviews and challenges both accounts and argues that they both assess inadequately the interests of governmental and transnational actors, and their roles and relative influence in determining the outcome of the negotiations of the NAFTA's side and parallel agreements on the environment. It proposes that a revised liberal intergovernmentalist account, that considers the non-economic national interests of nation-states, would explain better the pursuit and negotiation of the NAFTA's environmental side and parallel agreements, and the institutional structure that resulted from them.
The current scholarship on North American integration has largely failed to engage with European ... more The current scholarship on North American integration has largely failed to engage with European integration theories. This paper argues that this situation results from the existence and dominance of the assumption, in the current literature, that North American integration is an intergovernmental process. It follows from this notion that, confronted with turbulence, the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States have lingered in promoting integration, and the process has stalled. Hence, (European) regional integration theories are irrelevant to the study of the North American case. This article argues that this claim resembles those made in the 1970s in Europe, when Ernst Haas declared the theorization of (European) integration obsolescent. To address this claim, this paper proposes reintroducing regional integration theories into the study of North American integration. It argues that such a change would enable scholars to better understand and acknowledge the varying degrees of policy interdependence (and hence political integration) between these countries. It concludes that the use of these theories would enable scholars to reassess North American integration, and potentially reveal that this process might be more substantial than current studies claim.
Norteamérica
Numerous scholars argue that the rules, mechanisms, and bodies established under NAFTA's Chapter ... more Numerous scholars argue that the rules, mechanisms, and bodies established under NAFTA's Chapter 11 for the settlement of foreign direct investment disputes have undermined the policy-making capabilities of governments in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada for promoting public welfare in their countries. This article argues that Chapter 11 has instead contributed to reaffirming governments' power to enact and uphold social-oriented domestic laws. It demonstrates that Chapter 11's dispute settlement mechanisms were created and operate according to the interests of the national governments in facilitating and increasing the flows of trade and investment capital between their countries without compromising their sovereignty and policy-making powers.
Thesis by Iván Farías Pelcastre
Current studies of regional integration in North America claim that this process is limited to th... more Current studies of regional integration in North America claim that this process is limited to the entering of intergovernmental agreements that aim to expand and enhance crossborder flows of goods and capitals between Mexico, Canada and the US. Such studies claim that the political effects of the process on nation-states are limited and constrained by the decisions of the national governments. In contrast, this thesis argues that the actions of transnational actors have increased the policy interdependence between the three countries in the arenas of environmental protection, labour cooperation and protection of foreign direct investment. Transnational actors have used, applied and interpreted the rules originally created by the intergovernmental agreements –NAFTA, NAAEC, BECA and NAALC– and have subsequently demanded additional and improved rules. Regional institutions have in turn responded to these demands by supplying new and improved regional rules. In doing so, transnational actors and regional institutions have furthered the policy interdependence between the three countries. This phenomenon, known in other contexts as institutionalisation, demonstrates that the process of regional integration in North America is more substantial than previous studies claim. In addition, it illustrates the relevance of the theories of Liberal Intergovernmentalism and Supranational Governance to the analysis of the emergence and development of the North American integration process.
Opinion Articles by Iván Farías Pelcastre
World Orders Forum, Feb 28, 2023
The drama that unfolded in the skies over Canada and the United States in the past weeks was bigg... more The drama that unfolded in the skies over Canada and the United States in the past weeks was bigger than it should have been. And it is part of a larger trend in geopolitics, which North Americans might have failed to acknowledge —until now. That is, the centre of global power has shifted from the European-North Atlantic area, to Asia-Pacific. And, telling by the outcome, it is clear that this is not a change which the US, at least, intended or sought. Or a change that Canada is ready to face on its own.
World Orders Forum, 2021
Despite its intrinsic relevance, it is likely that the sixth summit of the Community of Latin Ame... more Despite its intrinsic relevance, it is likely that the sixth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States would have gone largely unnoticed outside the Western Hemisphere, had it not been for a remark made by Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador about the relevance of CELAC as a potential instrument for the promotion of regional integration in Latin America.
Baltic Rim Economies, 2021
The Ukrainian government’s geopolitical concerns, and its own inability to choose and maintain an... more The Ukrainian government’s geopolitical concerns, and its own inability to choose and maintain an evidence-based course of action, appear to have taken precedence over the very pressing public health concerns raised by the pandemic. Opting not to buy the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, only because of its origin, at a time when dozens of states around the world are carrying out mass vaccinations, has made Ukraine lag far behind almost everyone else.
Baltic Rim Economies Review, 2019
The continued prevalence of corruption in Ukrainian society, both in the public and private secto... more The continued prevalence of corruption in Ukrainian society, both in the public and private sectors, imposes a heavy burden in the country by hindering economic growth, increasing socioeconomic inequalities, and diminishing the quality and accessibility of public services – including the provision of education. If President Volodymyr Zelensky is serious about taking action against corruption and inefficiency in the Ukrainian government, he does not have to go farther than ensuring the full implementation of educational reform.
Fair Observer, 2019
On April 21, 2019, Ukrainians voted in the final round of the country’s presidential elections, a... more On April 21, 2019, Ukrainians voted in the final round of the country’s presidential elections, and overwhelmingly elected Volodymyr Zelensky, who just became the country’s youngest ever —as well as the least experienced— president-elect. Having never held public office or worked in public service, running as the only candidate for a political party that did not exist 18 months ago, his election to Ukraine’s highest office should be taken as a signal that the country’s patience is running thin.
Fair Observer, 2019
To this day, one of the most serious challenges to Mexico’s public service is the prevalence of c... more To this day, one of the most serious challenges to Mexico’s public service is the prevalence of corruption among officials. At all levels of government — federal, state and municipal — this barrier has proved to be enduring and difficult to overcome effectively. The new administration’s first step in setting the government’s position in the fight against corruption across Mexico was, therefore, to set a positive and constructive tone for creating and implementing public policies and legal reforms to provide a framework for curbing corrupt practices.
Fair Observer, 2019
The similarities between the original agreement and the USMCA, and the objectives that the Mexica... more The similarities between the original agreement and the USMCA, and the objectives that the Mexican government pursued in both, are striking. Back in 1990, the Salinas administration wanted to secure and implement NAFTA to complete its set of neoliberal reforms. All of these reforms were radical departures from the traditionally nationalistic policies that had constituted the backbone of the Mexican economy for over 40 years. Today, the logic for securing the continuation of NAFTA remains the same as in 1994. The way in which the neoliberal administration of President Salinas viewed the original NAFTA in the 1990s, and President Peña Nieto’s saw its most recent renegotiation in the 2010s is remarkably similar.
As of July 1, López Obrador has ceased being a social leader and candidate and, as president-elec... more As of July 1, López Obrador has ceased being a social leader and candidate and, as president-elect, must act with full responsibility because his safety is now synonymous with the safety of the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. By foregoing the use of a security detail, Mexico’s president-elect is putting public interest at risk. Accepting the protection of his life and integrity is protecting Mexico’s interests and stability. These are matters of national security that he simply cannot disregard.
Presumiblemente, el tercer debate entre los candidatos a la Presidencia de la República ha genera... more Presumiblemente, el tercer debate entre los candidatos a la Presidencia de la República ha generado mayor satisfacción entre la audiencia, que la que generaron los dos debates anteriores. El formato comparativamente más directo del debate y la forma dinámica en que se condujeron sus participantes permitió un intercambio de ideas, propuestas y acusaciones, que dio a los votantes un conocimiento más amplio de los candidatos presidenciales, así como de sus plataformas políticas y sus personalidades como posibles gobernantes del país.
Es necesario que el Instituto Nacional Electoral considere, reformule y limite el papel de los mo... more Es necesario que el Instituto Nacional Electoral considere, reformule y limite el papel de los moderadores en el próximo debate presidencial. La actitud y protagonismo que los periodistas Yuriria Sierra y León Krauze exhibieron jamás se ha visto en las democracias industriales avanzadas. Su participación –y no moderación– impidió el contraste de ideas, personalidades y propuestas entre candidatos que eran y son necesarias para que los votantes mexicanos tomen decisiones informadas.
Región MX, 2018
La salida de Margarita Zavala de la contienda por la Presidencia de México ha generado numerosas ... more La salida de Margarita Zavala de la contienda por la Presidencia de México ha generado numerosas críticas hacia la ex-candidata independiente. Este artículo de opinión discute los obstáculos que los candidatos independientes encuentran y deben enfrentar en el sistema político mexicano. Asimismo, explica por que dichos obstáculos deben ser eliminados, a fin que las candidaturas independientes no sean utilizadas para validar la permanencia y continuidad del antiguo sistema político y electoral en México.
Ukraine‘s political and socioeconomic circumstances have become the subject of various debates ac... more Ukraine‘s political and socioeconomic circumstances have become the subject of various debates across Europe and the United States. The focus of these discussions has been the decreasing optimism among Ukrainians about the limited progress the government has made over implementing structural reforms, which were announced after parliamentary elections in October 2014. These reforms promised to bring changes to the judicial, health care and pension systems, as well as a decentralization of the state and closer relations with the European Union and the West. This article argues that, if reforms are not implemented in the near future, another revolution might be on the horizon for Ukraine.
La retórica y posición de los EU en la renegociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del... more La retórica y posición de los EU en la renegociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) han alejado a México del que fuera su socio comercial más importante. Pero, paradójicamente, lo han acercado más a su renovado socio comercial y diplomático, Canadá.
Without the participation of the United States (US) in the North American Free Trade Agreement (N... more Without the participation of the United States (US) in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), North America would not exist economically or politically. The rhetoric and the position of the US in the NAFTA renegotiations, however, has alienated Canada and Mexico from their formerly most important (and common) partner. Paradoxically, US President Donald Trump's hardline stance against NAFTA has brought Mexico and Canada closer to each other than they had ever been. By questioning the dual-bilateral nature of North American integration, Trump has strengthened the two other countries' conviction and commitment to working together for a NAFTA that works for all of them.
Las acciones de la administración del Presidente estadounidense Donald J. Trump han generado ince... more Las acciones de la administración del Presidente estadounidense Donald J. Trump han generado incertidumbre a nivel global. En este contexto, sin embargo, las relaciones entre México y Alemania se han fortalecido, y han generado oportunidades para expandir y profundizarlas. La era Trump, luce entonces, como una oportunidad disfrazada de calamidad, y por primera vez en un largo tiempo, México parece estar listo y dispuesto a aprovecharlas.
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Journal Articles by Iván Farías Pelcastre
Thesis by Iván Farías Pelcastre
Opinion Articles by Iván Farías Pelcastre