Proposed Free Trade Areas: – there are many proposals for establishing free trade areas in Asia or the Americas. The…

Proposed Free Trade Areas: – there are many proposals for establishing free trade areas in Asia or the Americas. The US has completed free trade agreements with a number of countries (see USTR web site at http://www.ustr.gov/); there is a free trade area among some countries in South America (Mercosur); etc. What are these proposals and what problems do they face? How will they affect the U.S.?; how will they affect countries that are not part of the free trade area? Are there any additional difficulties in enforcing free trade rules when economies in which the central government plays a large role are part of the free trade area? How have the various free trade agreements into which the U.S. has entered affected trade among the participating countries and employment in each country? (350 words minimum, 2 references minimum)

Wage Inequality and Trade – data indicates a growing gap between the wages for skilled and unskilled labor, and several candidates have made this part of the Presidential campaign. What role has trade and immigration played in this process? What implications does outsourcing have for this trend? What policies, if any, should the U.S. take to offset this trend? (350 words minimum, 2 references minimum)