Issues in International Political Economy: The Dependency/Dominance Relationship between Mexico and the United States

November 12, 2007

When two neighboring countries have vastly disparate economic and political power, one can expect a dependency/dominance relationship to develop. The power differences between the United States and Mexico have existed since at least the U.S. land grab in its war with Mexico more than 150 years ago, and they have shaped the approach of each country to the other. Mexico, over much of this time, has made policy in important areas such as trade, foreign investment, narcotics, energy, migration, and the border as a dependent country. The United States has made much of its policy toward Mexico as a dominant nation. Perhaps we are witnessing some shift in the long-standing policy approach of dependency/dominance, but the signs are still modest.