THE AMERICAS PROGRAM

Program Overview

The CSIS Americas Program combines longstanding regional expertise on the Western Hemisphere with a strengthened focus on key transnational topics: democracy and governance; trade and development, and regional security to help shape policy debate and formulation in the United States and throughout the region. Activities of the Americas Program bring together key hemispheric actors from government, the private sector, academia and civil society to pursue issues of mutual interest. The Program maintains strong links to the U.S. Congress and to parliamentary constituencies in the Hemisphere. The Americas Program draws on the broad expertise of other CSIS scholars and programs to bring value-added to its own projects.

Key Areas of Focus

Democracy/governance
Recognizing the need for continued structural reform in the political institutions of the region and in improving governance, the CSIS Americas Program is carrying out projects aimed at engaging U.S. and regional policy-makers in an examination of key issues such as political party development, administration of justice and rule of law, elections and electoral reform, anti-corruption measures and transparency, and international cooperation in support of democracy.

Trade/development
The CSIS Americas Program, through its publications and programs, analyzes policies aimed at promoting regional economic integration and development. Current issues of prominent interest include the Central American and Andean free trade agreements, the FTAA initiative, a continuing analysis of NAFTA and bilateral economic relations with Canada and Mexico, the future of MERCOSUR, the development of regional information technology capacity, regional energy policy, Cuba’s economic transition, the effect of China, India and other important non-regional economies on the Hemisphere, and the impact of issues such as HIV/AIDs and an aging population on future economic growth.

Regional security
Current and future programming will focus on the central issues affecting hemispheric security, including U.S. border security, regional counter-terrorism efforts, transnational crime concerns, civil-military relations in the region, police reform, public safety, and the linkages between regional security and stability, governance, and economic development.

Country Expertise
The Americas Program maintains strong expertise on Canada and Mexico, with special emphasis on bilateral and trilateral relations with the U.S., on key issues affecting Central America and the Caribbean, on the challenges facing the countries of the Andean Ridge, and on developments in Chile and the MERCOSUR countries, especially Brazil and Argentina.