Discussion 1: The EU and NAFTA (or NAFTA 2.0) are two big examples of attempts to reduce or eliminate tariffs between nations, with the inefficiency and uncertainty they can bring. They are different, of course, not only in including different countries. But one is a Free Trade Area (that’s what the FTA’ in NAFTA stands for) and the other a Customs Union (that’s why it’s the EU). You should familiarize yourself with the differences.
Both have faced crises in recent years, driven often by dissatisfaction of working-class voters in the richer countries. Discuss some of the problems in either the EU or NAFTA, making reference to some of the models we’ve discussed in class.
