ABSTRACT
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into existence - ten years ago - it appeared to be highly innovative in terms of its form and actorness. Far from being revolutionary, however, NAFTA has taken on a settled - even immobilized - look. This chapter examines the reasons and the impact of this paradox. Central to the discussion are the foundational characteristics of the agreement with NAFTA being created not only as a one-off but a limited arrangement. Furthermore, the argument is made that what intellectual and instrumental energy exists to extend the architectural design beyond established institutional and procedural parameters has been drained by the lingering effects of September 11, 2001. For this traumatic event placed the goal of North American - and more precisely US - security ahead of economic prosperity. Although there remains extant the possibility of renewed momentum for the NAFTA project to be taken to a different and more ambitious stage, these steps will be uneven and informed by a greater contest between strategic visions.
