Special Report: America first: the challenge for Mexico (ISSN 17414474)

Mexico and the US have a long political and diplomatic history including notable moments of collaboration, but also some of outright conflict. Some Mexican nationalists argue that throughout its history the country has suffered at the hands of US imperialism. In 1845 the US annexed Texas, which had been considered part of Mexico; in the subsequent Mexican-American war (1846-1848) Mexico lost a large swathe of territory including present-day California and New Mexico. The Mexican revolution in the early part of the 20^th century rejected both capitalism and foreign intervention. US oil companies were nationalised in the 1930s. However, successive Mexican governments stopped short of full-scale nationalisation and state control: over the years the country has maintained a relatively strong private sector, and one which has grown in significance since the country joined NAFTA. There has nevertheless been an ongoing contrast between the economic power and the high living standards enjoyed in the US on the one hand and the comparatively less developed Mexican economy on the other, although the gap between the two has narrowed somewhat. The US remains the world’s largest single economy, while Mexico is currently ranked 14^th.