A collection of essays discussing Mexico, highlighting its instability, economy, common border and foreign relations with the United States.

Ch. 1. What is contributing to the instability of Mexican society? Mexican drug cartels are destabilizing democracy in Mexico / Mario Loyola -- The United States must support democracy in Mexico to defeat drug cartels / Shannon O'Neil -- Police corruption is abetting drug violence in Mexico / Dudley Althaus -- Mexico is trying to clean up police corruption / Ken Ellingwood -- NAFTA has contributed to economic and governmental instability in Mexico / Jeff Faux -- Ch. 2. WHat has been the impact of NAFTA on Mexico? Mexico should capitalize on the benefits of NAFTA / The Economist -- NAFTA hurts the Mexican economy / Anne Vigna -- NAFTA promotes the exploitative maquiladora system in Mexico / Mike Westfall -- The maquiladora system is a beneficial part of the Mexican economy under NAFTA / Joseph Heinzman Jr. and Gian Marco Valentini -- NAFTA is responsible for increasing Mexican emigration / David Bacon -- NAFTA is not responsible for increasing Mexican emigration / Demetrios G. Papademetriou -- Ch. 3. Is cross-border migration a problem for the United States and Mexico? The US border fence will deter illegal immigration from Mexico / Tom Tancredo -- The US border fence divides neighbors and tears apart families / Gebe Martinez -- The US economy is compelling many Mexican immigrants to return home / Miriam Jordan -- The return of Mexican immigrants to Mexico is hurting the US economy / Jeff Jacoby -- Border violence is increasing / Ben Conery and Jerry Seper -- Border violence is declining / Julianne Hing and Hatty Lee -- American immigrants are putting a burden on Mexico / Marisa Treviño -- Ch. 4. What should US policy be toward Mexico? The United States should militarize the border / Dave Gibson -- The United States should not send troops into Mexico / Andres Oppenheimer -- US lawmakers should support the Mérida Initiative / Armand Peschard-Sverdrup -- US lawmakers should abandon the Mérida Initiative / Laura Carlsen -- The United States should end the war on drugs and strictly control gun sales / Ted Lewis -- The United States should not legalize drugs but should support the defeat of drug cartels / James Roberts -- The United States can do nothing to help Mexico / Robert Robb.