Security. Cooperation. Governance.: The Canada-United States Open Border Paradox

Historically, national borders have evolved to serve the interests of central states in security and trade regulation. The US-Canada border is a living laboratory for studying the interaction of trade, security, and other border policies. The Open Border Paradox arises from extensive, regionally varied flows of trade and people, leading to nested but interdependent security regimes. Effective policy accounts for regional variation in integrated binational security and trade imperatives, while binational and continental policies are embedded in each country's trade and security relationships beyond North America.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 231 pages
Publication date: 25 October 2023
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

Historically, national borders have undergone significant transformations to serve the interests of central states in terms of security and the regulation of trade. This intricate evolution has been shaped by a multitude of factors, including geopolitical tensions, economic interests, and cultural exchanges.

Security has played a paramount role in shaping the evolution of national borders. Central states have sought to establish secure boundaries to protect their populations, resources, and interests from external threats. This has led to the construction of physical barriers such as walls, fences, and surveillance systems, as well as the deployment of military forces to patrol these borders.

Cooperation has also been a key factor in the evolution of national borders. Countries have recognized the benefits of working together to address common challenges, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and environmental degradation. This has led to the establishment of international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), which facilitate trade and cooperation among nations.

Governance has also played a significant role in shaping national borders. Central states have sought to establish effective governance structures to manage cross-border flows of people, goods, and services. This has involved the development of regulations, policies, and institutions to ensure the smooth flow of trade and the protection of human rights.

The Canada-US border is a prime example of the complex interplay of security, cooperation, and governance. The two countries have a long history of trade and cooperation, and their border is one of the world's largest and busiest. However, the border has also been the site of numerous security challenges, including terrorism, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration.

To address these challenges, the Canada-US border has evolved through successive trade agreements since the 1950s. These agreements have aimed to promote economic growth and reduce trade barriers while also addressing security concerns. However, the border has also been subject to new and emerging challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.

The sectoral and geographical diversity of cross-border interdependence of the Canada-US trade relationship makes it a living laboratory for studying the interaction of trade, security, and other border policies. The border spans multiple regions, including the Great Lakes region, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and the Canadian Prairies and U.S. Great Plains. Each of these regions has its own unique economic and security challenges, which require specialized governance structures.

The findings of the book highlight the complex nature of border governance. Border governance straddles multiple regional, sectoral, and security scales in ways that are rarely documented in such detail. This has resulted in the emergence of an "Open Border Paradox": extensive, regionally varied flows of trade and people have resulted in a series of nested but interdependent security regimes that function on different scales and vary across economic and policy sectors.

For instance, just-in-time automotive production in the Great Lakes region differs significantly from the governance of maritime and intermodal trade (and port systems) on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Similarly, commodity-based systems that manage diverse agricultural and food trade in the Canadian Prairies and U.S. Great Plains are quite different from each other.

The paradox of open borders and their legitimacy is a function of robust bilateral and multilevel governance based on effective partnerships with substate governments and the private sector. Effective policy acco.

Weight: 348g
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472055715