The Constitutional Presence within North America

Abstract

International agreements that create cooperative associations of one form or another, including free trade areas, require voluntary interaction among the member states in order to succeed. Many factors can influence that success, but a relatively neglected consideration is the difference in institutional structure among these governments. Neo-institutional theories suggest that different governmental structures can affect rational choice decisions regarding policies, both domestic and international.¹ The fact that Canada differs from the other two members of NAFTA (Mexico and the United States) by having a parliamentary system may be significant in this respect, particularly during periods of majority government.