Students will debate the merits of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia from the perspectives of the actors involved: the United States government, the Colombian government, a Latin American labor group, Instructions: Students may select any perspective and more than one of the perspectives below to debate the merits of the free trade agreements

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Students will debate the merits of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia from the perspectives of the actors involved: the United States government, the Colombian government, a Latin American labor group,

Instructions:

Students may select any perspective and more than one of the perspectives below to debate the merits of the free trade agreements. 

• American Government Perspective: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), The Case for the U.S. - Colombia Free Trade Agreement (.pdf)  and U.S. - Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (.pdf)
• American Think Tank Perspective: Robert B. Cassidy, False Expectations of Trade Agreements Lessons for Change (.pdf) Economic Policy Institute.
• Colombian Labor Perspective:   RECALCA: Colombian Action Network in Response to Free Trade and FTAA. Free Trade Agreement and Labor Rights (.pdf)
• Colombian Government Perspective: Colombian Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. Colombia-US Trade Agreement Summary (.pdf)

Participate in the Free Trade Debate exercise. Each student should respond to at least three questions With a couple paragraphs and ensure that within their respective groups each question has been addressed at least once.

1. What are the main elements (at least three) of your character's message or point of view regarding the trade treaty?
2. What are the most convincing things (examples, facts, opinions, statistics) your character could say to make his/her case? 
3. Identify three things that RECALCA would say to the Colombian Ministry of Commerce.
4. How would the Ministry of Commerce respond to RECALCA?
5. Identify three things Cassidy would say to the USTR.
6. How would the USTR respond to Cassidy?
7. Based on what you learned in this course, what advice would you give to the governments of Colombia and the United States regarding the TPA?
8. Which lessons about trade policy can you draw from this debate?