Isidro Morales – författare

At the end of the Cold War, a renewed interest in civil society emerged. Today, civil society, trust, democratization, social capital, and volunteerism are a primary focus among the social sciences. The end of the Cold War meant such issues in the social sciences, neglected during many years of military confrontation, came back into prominence. Voluntary groups are being given large roles, and the state is being challenged by them.

The search is on for ways to encourage democracy. Free trade and globalization are part of the equation, but much attention is being focused on the role of NGOs (non-governmental organizations). The claim is that without a healthy voluntary sector, the long-term survival of a democratic society is doubtful.

Civil Society and Democratization, a special issue of THE ANNALS, features articles written by both domestic and international scholars on this ever growing area of discussion. Articles in this issue cover these important topics:

· Debates on civil society both in the United States and abroad · Civil society and political elections · Religion and civic engagement · Civil society and volunteerism

This special issue is a comprehensive discussion of how political confidence is built and eroded in a world that unimaginable only ten years ago. It is an indispensable guide to the problems of sustaining the gains made by democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union and will be of great interest to academics and professionals concerned with processes of social change.

At the end of the Cold War, a renewed interest in civil society emerged. Today, civil society, trust, democratization, social capital, and volunteerism are a primary focus among the social sciences. The end of the Cold War meant such issues in the social sciences, neglected during many years of military confrontation, came back into prominence. Voluntary groups are being given large roles, and the state is being challenged by them.

The search is on for ways to encourage democracy. Free trade and globalization are part of the equation, but much attention is being focused on the role of NGOs (non-governmental organizations). The claim is that without a healthy voluntary sector, the long-term survival of a democratic society is doubtful.

Civil Society and Democratization, a special issue of THE ANNALS, features articles written by both domestic and international scholars on this ever growing area of discussion. Articles in this issue cover these important topics:

· Debates on civil society both in the United States and abroad · Civil society and political elections · Religion and civic engagement · Civil society and volunteerism

This special issue is a comprehensive discussion of how political confidence is built and eroded in a world that unimaginable only ten years ago. It is an indispensable guide to the problems of sustaining the gains made by democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union and will be of great interest to academics and professionals concerned with processes of social change.

Regionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean has experienced transformations over the last few years. After more than a decade of a hegemonic model based solely on free-market principles, the regional and global transformation that occurred in the first decade of the new millennium modified the way of understanding economic development and the insertion of regional blocs in global affairs. Old initiatives have been reconsidered, new schemes have emerged, and new principles going beyond trade issues have modified the norms and processes of regional economic integration. This book reviews these recent transformations to depict and explain the new trends shaping regional blocs and cooperation in the Americas.

'Triggered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada, the United States and Mexico redefined their public policies to facilitate the regionalization of transactions. However, this volume addresses the institutional gaps that still remain focusing mainly on the cross-border governance of security aspects. It gathers interdisciplinary contributions of specialists working on continental issues within Canada, the United States and Mexico and highlights the transnational dimension of certain issues still managed under national-framed policies. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities and constraints for moving public policy into new cross-border governance strategies. Divided in three parts, the first part assesses what is at stake in cross-border governance issues and whether the integrative trend in the region will be maintained or stalled in the years to come. The second part explores the growing scope of security problems interconnected with borders, migration, energy and drug trafficking across the region. It highlights how Mexico and Canada are responding or adapting their policy choices to a continental security approach framed by the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and to the major concerns of the Obama administration. The third part focuses on the governance of territorial borders and bilateral affairs, i.e. Mexico-US and Canada-Mexico relations.

Regionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean has experienced transformations over the last few years. After more than a decade of a hegemonic model based solely on free-market principles, the regional and global transformation that occurred in the first decade of the new millennium modified the way of understanding economic development and the insertion of regional blocs in global affairs. Old initiatives have been reconsidered, new schemes have emerged, and new principles going beyond trade issues have modified the norms and processes of regional economic integration. This book reviews these recent transformations to depict and explain the new trends shaping regional blocs and cooperation in the Americas.

Regionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean has experienced transformations over the last few years. After more than a decade of a hegemonic model based solely on free-market principles, the regional and global transformation that occurred in the first decade of the new millennium modified the way of understanding economic development and the insertion of regional blocs in global affairs. Old initiatives have been reconsidered, new schemes have emerged, and new principles going beyond trade issues have modified the norms and processes of regional economic integration. This book reviews these recent transformations to depict and explain the new trends shaping regional blocs and cooperation in the Americas.

''Triggered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada, the United States and Mexico redefined their public policies to facilitate the regionalization of transactions. However, this volume addresses the institutional gaps that still remain focusing mainly on the cross-border governance of security aspects. It gathers interdisciplinary contributions of specialists working on continental issues within Canada, the United States and Mexico and highlights the transnational dimension of certain issues still managed under national-framed policies. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities and constraints for moving public policy into new cross-border governance strategies. Divided in three parts, the first part assesses what is at stake in cross-border governance issues and whether the integrative trend in the region will be maintained or stalled in the years to come. The second part explores the growing scope of security problems interconnected with borders, migration, energy and drug trafficking across the region. It highlights how Mexico and Canada are responding or adapting their policy choices to a continental security approach framed by the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and to the major concerns of the Obama administration. The third part focuses on the governance of territorial borders and bilateral affairs, i.e. Mexico-US and Canada-Mexico relations.

''Triggered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada, the United States and Mexico redefined their public policies to facilitate the regionalization of transactions. However, this volume addresses the institutional gaps that still remain focusing mainly on the cross-border governance of security aspects. It gathers interdisciplinary contributions of specialists working on continental issues within Canada, the United States and Mexico and highlights the transnational dimension of certain issues still managed under national-framed policies. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities and constraints for moving public policy into new cross-border governance strategies. Divided in three parts, the first part assesses what is at stake in cross-border governance issues and whether the integrative trend in the region will be maintained or stalled in the years to come. The second part explores the growing scope of security problems interconnected with borders, migration, energy and drug trafficking across the region. It highlights how Mexico and Canada are responding or adapting their policy choices to a continental security approach framed by the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and to the major concerns of the Obama administration. The third part focuses on the governance of territorial borders and bilateral affairs, i.e. Mexico-US and Canada-Mexico relations.

'Triggered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canada, the United States and Mexico redefined their public policies to facilitate the regionalization of transactions. However, this volume addresses the institutional gaps that still remain focusing mainly on the cross-border governance of security aspects. It gathers interdisciplinary contributions of specialists working on continental issues within Canada, the United States and Mexico and highlights the transnational dimension of certain issues still managed under national-framed policies. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities and constraints for moving public policy into new cross-border governance strategies. Divided in three parts, the first part assesses what is at stake in cross-border governance issues and whether the integrative trend in the region will be maintained or stalled in the years to come. The second part explores the growing scope of security problems interconnected with borders, migration, energy and drug trafficking across the region. It highlights how Mexico and Canada are responding or adapting their policy choices to a continental security approach framed by the US after the terrorist attacks of September 11, and to the major concerns of the Obama administration. The third part focuses on the governance of territorial borders and bilateral affairs, i.e. Mexico-US and Canada-Mexico relations.

Regionalism in Latin America and the Caribbean has experienced transformations over the last few years. After more than a decade of a hegemonic model based solely on free-market principles, the regional and global transformation that occurred in the first decade of the new millennium modified the way of understanding economic development and the insertion of regional blocs in global affairs. Old initiatives have been reconsidered, new schemes have emerged, and new principles going beyond trade issues have modified the norms and processes of regional economic integration. This book reviews these recent transformations to depict and explain the new trends shaping regional blocs and cooperation in the Americas.

The world is experiencing a profound energy transition driven by the urgent need to address the realities of climate change and the volatile nature of global energy markets. The shift from a century of fossil fuel dominance to a diversified, lower-carbon future is redrawing economic landscapes, geopolitical alliances, and national strategies. But what does this global overhaul mean for nations striving to balance energy security, development and environmental goals, and economic stability?This contributed volume examines how these forces are being expressed, contested, and reconfigured in Mexico. Moving beyond traditional analyses of production, demand, or investment trends, this book emphasizes the distinctly geographical dimension of energy: the ways in which exploration and production activities, pipelines, refineries, power plants, natural gas corridors, and renewable energy projects reorganize space, influence regional development trajectories, and affect livelihoods. Chapters explore how Mexico’s energy sector has evolved over the span of decades from a highly centralized state monopoly to an increasingly complex ecosystem of public, private, local, and international actors. In doing so, the book illuminates the tensions between national energy policies and goals, economic competitiveness, and the imperative to decarbonize. Through empirically grounded, locally informed analyses, New Geographies of Energy in Mexico illustrates how energy activities reshape territories at multiple scales, triggering social, economic, and environmental repercussions. The result is a resource for scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, and anyone seeking to grasp how energy is reshaping the regions of a critical North American player and what Mexico’s experience reveals about the complexities, challenges, and opportunities of crafting a more diversified energy industry.