Domestic Politics and International Negotiations: NAFTAs Two-Level Games

Abstract

This article applies the Two-Level Games model to the Mexico-United States negotiations on NAFTA. It demonstrates that the traditional dichotomy between domestic politics and international relations is not useful to explain international negotiations. The first part presents the overall, general evolution of the negotiations. The second and third parts review in more detail the agricultural and banking chapters of the negotiations, respectively. It concludes that the Mexican political regime was a handicap in NAFTAs negotiations.