Background - by Rita Ross, Vice-Chair, Canadian Studies

With this conference the Program begins a new stage of the Federalism Project. The previous project, a collaborative effort between U.C. Berkeley and Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, ended in 1993. It focused on comparative federalism in Canada and the United States. In June 1995 the Program applied for a Canadian Studies Conference Grant for the 1995-1996 academic year in order to continue and expand the previous study. The intent was to launch a major three-year research project to consider more explicitly the effect of NAFTA on the operation of North American federal systems, and to this end it was considered desirable to bring Mexico into the project as a co-partner. In this new stage of the study Michael Hawes (Political Studies, Queen's) has taken on the role of overall program coordinator, the role filled in the first phase by Victor Jones of Berkeley.

The April 1997 conference had two main goals. The first was to present an overview of the issue of federalism in light of the recent NAFTA agreement. Since the context of federalism is so different in the three countries, we decided to invite the presentation of three major papers, one each from the point of view of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each was followed by expert commentary and general discussion. We were confident that the papers and subsequent discussion would provide a context in which to identify further directions for the research project, and our expectations were amply fulfilled.

The conference's second goal was to plan for further phases of the multi-year project, including goals, timetables, and fundraising strategies. We turned to these issues in a workshop on Tuesday afternoon after lunch. There was considerable discussion about the project's future direction. It was decided that future studies should include, among many other issues, more attention to economics and the issue of sovereignty. Further planning is currently underway.

This conference was funded by a generous conference grant from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs through the Washington Mission; it was originally awarded in 1995 and kindly extended through June 1997. We are also grateful to the Donner Foundation for continuing support.
 

DAY ONE (Sunday, April 27) The Faculty Club

5:30 PM: Welcome wine reception and dinner. Keynote address by the Right Honourable KIM CAMPBELL, former Prime Minister of Canada, currently the Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles. Introduction by Nelson Graburn (Anthropology, UCB, and Co-Chair, Canadian Studies)
 

DAY TWO (Monday, April 28) Booth Auditorium

Morning session, 9:00 AM: ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER (Diputado Independiente al Congreso Federal de Mexico) and ALEJANDRA CULLEN (Banco National de Mexico) Mexican perspective: Mexican Federalism and the Paradox of Centralization.
Respondent: José Canela-Cacho (School of Public Policy, U.C. Berkeley)

Afternoon session, 1:30 PM: PETER LESLIE, Political Studies, Queen's University) Canadian perspective: 'Governing the Economy' within Economic Unions: Canada, the EU, and the NAFTA.
Respondent: Alan Alexandroff (University of Toronto)
 
 

DAY THREE (Tuesday, April 29) Booth Auditorium

Morning session, 10:00 AM: HARRY SCHEIBER (Jurisprudence and Social Policy, Boalt School of Law, UCB) U.S. perspective: NAFTA and Federalism in the United States: Anticipating the Dimensions of Change.
Respondent: Conrad Weiler (Department of Political Science, Temple University)

Concluding remarks: MICHAEL HAWES (Political Studies, Queen's University; Project Director)

After lunch: planning workshop to discuss further phases of project.

Last updated 6/23/00:rr