Date of Award

12-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Degree Program

Political Science

Department

Political Science

Major Professor

Huelshoff, Michael

Second Advisor

Day, Christine

Third Advisor

Rosenblum, Marc

Abstract

Globalization has affected decentralization and greater centralized control and management within governments traditionally unconstrained by international change, city governments. City governments must be increasingly active internationally to survive in a politically decentralized global environment, especially in international trade. Trade is important to cities because it affects growth, jobs and standard of living among other contributors to local economies. The effects of globalization at the local level are manifested in three Southern U.S. cities with business-generating ports linked to Latin American and world markets: New Orleans, Houston, and Miami. This comparative case study considers the competition among New Orleans, Houston and Miami to capitalize on their complex transportation networks and increase trade with Latin America. Several variables contribute to increased trade and investment between the cities and Latin America, including local autonomy from state governments, business influence on local government policy, size of firms, and international trade policy and investment.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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