Wilson Center Experts
Christopher Wilson
Associate, Mexico Institute
Mexico Institute
Contact Information:
T 202-691-4050
Expertise:
Economics and Globalization
; Mexico
Christopher Wilson is an Associate at the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he develops the Institute’s research and programming on regional economic integration and U.S.-Mexico border affairs. He is the author of Working Together: Economic Ties between the United States and Mexico (Wilson Center, 2011) and coauthor of the State of the Border Report (Wilson Center, 2013). Chris is regularly consulted by national and international media outlets regarding U.S.-Mexico relations and has written op-ed columns for the Wall Street Journal, Politico, CNN and the Dallas Morning News. Chris previously served as a Mexico Analyst for the U.S. Military and as a researcher at American University’s Center for North American Studies. In Mexico, he worked with the international trade consultancy IQOM, Inteligencia Comercial, and with American students studying regional political and social issues. He completed his M.A. in International Affairs at American University, focusing on U.S. foreign policy and hemispheric relations.
Related Content for this Expert
How to Build a 21st Century Border
July 16, 2012 // 2:00pm — 4:00pm
As one of the architects of the 21st Century Border initiative, Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, delivered a keynote address at a discussion on developing efficient and secure border management strategies.
more
Mexico Institute in the News: Commentary on the Mexican Elections by Mexico Institute Staff and Colleagues
Jul 03, 2012For deeper analysis and background on the July 1 elections in Mexico, we have collected a selection of insights from Mexico Institute staff and colleagues on the PRI's rise to power, the prospects for security, economic, and energy policy, the impact on U.S.-Mexico relations and the future of Mexican democracy. This list will be continually updated on the Mexico Institute homepage as more articles are released. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Mexican Election opinion polls: Tools for propaganda?
Jun 12, 2012Enrique Peña Nieto is the frontrunner in Mexico’s elections. But polls are divided over the size of his lead. The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Questions at the border
Jun 12, 2012THE border between America and Mexico is perhaps best known for the illegal trade and people passing though it. But the growth in legitimate things crossing over is the far bigger story. Last year the value of bilateral trade reached half a trillion dollars by one measure, without any fanfare at all. But a stiffening of controls since 9/11 has led to congestion and unpredictable delays that cost both countries billions of dollars a year in trade, according to a report* released this month. The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments. more
Mexico Institute in the News: The North American Market: A Competitive Edge That Shouldn’t Be Squandered
Jun 08, 2012If there’s a golden rule for economic competitiveness, it’s this: “Always exploit your advantages.” Yet for more than a decade, the United States has systematically undermined one of its biggest – our proximity to a wealthy, resource-rich partner to the north and a developing, labor-rich partner to the south..."The State of Trade, Competitiveness and Economic Well-being in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region" by the Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson is used to explain the U.S. economic relationship with Mexico. more
The State of Trade, Competitiveness and Economic Well-being in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region
Jun 06, 2012More than a billion dollars of goods are traded across the US-Mexico border each day. With so much commerce, efficient and secure border management is essential to promote the competitiveness of the US and Mexico. This report identifies strategies to meet this challenge. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Trade Between U.S., Mexico Nears $500 Billion
Jun 06, 2012Trade between the United States and Mexico reached half a trillion dollars in 2011. Cross-border commerce is growing despite escalating drug violence in Mexico...The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Panel: U.S.-Mexico border issues hinder economic opportunities
Jun 05, 2012The U.S.-Mexico border holds a huge opportunity for increased trade and job creation, but it has become increasingly difficult to develop those opportunities since 2000, experts said Friday. The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Panel says U.S.-Mexico border issues hinder huge economic opportunities
Jun 01, 2012The U.S.-Mexico border holds a huge opportunity for increased trade and job creation, but it has become increasingly difficult to develop those opportunities since 2000, experts said Friday. The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson discusses the impact of border friction and his and Erik Lee's findings in a recent report on the transborder economy. more
Mexico Institute in the News: Drug war key issue in Mexico elections
May 31, 2012The Mexico Institute's Christopher Wilson comments on the impact of the drug war on the Mexican electorate's preferences in the upcoming election. more
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Op-ed: Defining Border Security
Feb 13, 2013Eric Olson and Christopher Wilson warn lawmakers against setting vague preconditions to “secure our border” before addressing immigration reform, which has sunk reform efforts in the past.
Mexico's Future Shrouded by Ongoing Drug War - Mexico Institute in the News
Feb 11, 2013Christopher Wilson, from the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexican Institute, explains that the law, “is something that has been promoted by victim groups,” but “as written, the law could apply to a broad pool of people, and perhaps to those that have not been severely affected.”
Latin American Program in the Media: Winter 2013
Feb 08, 2013See what our staff, fellows, and scholars have been saying on key issues.
Rape case in Mexican resort city puts violence back in the spotlight - Mexico in the News
Feb 07, 2013"While places like Ciudad Juarez have become safer, other places in the country have seen violence spike up," said Christopher Wilson, an associate at the Washington-based Mexico Institute. "Acapulco is one of the areas, and in fact, the entire state of Guerrero is one of the places, where there's been more violence recently."
Immigration: Mexico Stays Out of Debate - Mexico Institute in the News
Feb 04, 2013“Mexico is trying to be careful in terms of how it gets involved in the immigration debate,” said Christopher Wilson of the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. “It will talk about border security, trans-migration, issues like that, but Mexico will weigh its involvement in immigration very carefully.”
Carrollton businessman wants to make Mexico the next destination for medical tourism - Mexico Institute in the News
Jan 31, 2013Christopher Wilson spoke to The Dallas Morning News about Mexico's potential to become a more medical tourism destination for Americans. He said, “Mexico needs to get more hospitals certified by the Joint Commission, address violence and the perception of it, and needs to significantly increase advertising in the United States.”
Obama Misses Opportunity to Stem Gun Flow to Mexico-Mexico Institute in the News
Jan 23, 2013“Mexico’s previous administration prodded the U.S. to take stronger action on gun control for years, and Mexico’s new ambassador has continued that pressure,” Christopher Wilson.
• This article also appeared on Chrisroubis.com.
Mexico: Majority of Federal Inmates Imprisoned on Drug Charges-Mexico Institute in the News
Jan 23, 2013The Mexico Institute's Steven Dudley and Christopher Wilson discuss mexican prison population issues
NAFTA: 20 Years On, Time for a Change
Dec 17, 2012Christopher Wilson provides commentary on the 20th anniversary of NAFTA
Op-ed: Getting ready for a new era in U.S.-Mexico ties- Mexico Institute in the News
Dec 03, 2012The Mexico Institute's Andrew Selee and Christopher Wilson comment on the potential for the U.S.-Mexico Relationship under the administration of newly- sworn in President Peña Nieto
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Media Briefing: State of the Border Report
May 22, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Authors of the new State of the Border Report preview the report for journalists the day before the public launch.
The State of the U.S.-Mexico Border
May 23, 2013 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
As the debate over immigration reform has brought the management of the U.S.-Mexico border back into the spotlight, the Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of its new State of the Border Report.
Media Briefing: Obama’s Latin America Trip
April 26, 2013 // 9:30am — 10:30am
Wilson Center Experts Preview President Obama’s Upcoming Trip to Mexico and Costa Rica and U.S. Policy in the Region
Report Launch: New Ideas for a New Era: Policy Options for the Next Stage in U.S.-Mexico Relations
May 02, 2013 // 9:00am — 10:30am
On the same day that President Obama begins his trip to Latin America, the authors of the Mexico Institute’s new policy report will present their recommendations for strengthening U.S.-Mexico relations.
Is the Border More Efficient? More Secure? — Progress and Challenges in Managing the U.S.-Mexico Border
February 27, 2013 // 1:30pm — 3:30pm
In 2009, the Pacific Council on International Policy and the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs convened the Binational Task Force on the United States-Mexico Border. The group issued a series of recommendations regarding border management, which were detailed in the report, “Managing the United States-Mexico Border: Cooperative Solutions to Common Challenges.” Now, as border management plays a key role in the debate over immigration reform, the Task Force will reconvene to evaluate progress in managing the U.S.-Mexico border.
How to Build a 21st Century Border
July 16, 2012 // 2:00pm — 4:00pm
As one of the architects of the 21st Century Border initiative, Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, delivered a keynote address at a discussion on developing efficient and secure border management strategies.
North American Integration Essential to Renewed U.S. Manufacturing Prowess?
February 14, 2012 // 9:00am — 11:00am
Unlike China or Europe, Mexico and Canada are fundamentally different trading partners to the United States. They more closely resemble side-by-side workers on a common assembly line than transactional buyers and sellers separated by long distances. Working Together argues that enhanced economic integration can help meet the goal of doubled U.S. exports by 2015, sustain jobs throughout North America, and sharpen the region’s competitiveness against other world blocs. At the report’s launch Wednesday, author Chris Wilson of the Mexico Institute also stressed the largely unpublicized benefits Mexico trade poses for interior U.S. districts far from the southern border.
Book Launch: "Politics, Identity, and Mexico's Indigenous Rights Movements" and "Popular Movements in Autocracies: Religion, Repression, and Indigenous Collective Action in Mexico"
December 01, 2011 // 10:30am — 12:00pm
The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, American University’s Department of Government, and American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies were glad to host a discussion with the authors of two new books: "Politics, Identity, and Mexico's Indigenous Rights Movements" and "Popular Movements in Autocracies: Religion, Repression, and Indigenous Collective Action in Mexico"
The State of the Border Report
May 23, 2013As the debate over immigration reform has brought the management of the U.S.-Mexico border back into the spotlight, this report provides a comprehensive look at the state of affairs in the management of the U.S.-Mexico border and the border region, focusing on four core areas: trade and competitiveness, security, sustainability, and quality of life. The report suggests that rather than consider each issue individually, the interdependent nature of topics like trade and security demand the border be approached from a more holistic perspective.
New Ideas for a New Era: Policy Options for the Next Stage in U.S.-Mexico Relations
May 01, 2013The Mexico Institute presents policy recommendations for strengthening U.S.-Mexico relations during the administrations of President Obama and President Peña Nieto.
A New Agenda with Mexico
Nov 26, 2012The depth of economic ties with Mexico, together with declines in illegal immigration and organized crime violence in Mexico, open up an opportunity for U.S. policymakers to deepen the economic relationship with Mexico and to engage Mexico more on major global issues.
U.S. Presidential Election 2012 Analysis from the Mexico Institute
Nov 07, 2012The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute is pleased to share with you the following analysis on the implications of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Elections for the U.S.-Mexico Relationship.
The State of Trade, Competitiveness and Economic Well-being in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region
Jun 06, 2012More than a billion dollars of goods are traded across the US-Mexico border each day. With so much commerce, efficient and secure border management is essential to promote the competitiveness of the US and Mexico. This report identifies strategies to meet this challenge.
Working Together: Economic Ties between the United States and Mexico
Dec 13, 2011The report looks at the ways in which regional economic cooperation can enhance competitiveness, stimulate growth and create jobs. There is no doubt that the economies of the United States and Mexico are facing serious challenges. While some of the risk is due to external pressures, whether increasing competition from Asia or fears of crisis in Europe, much of the solution lies in strengthening regional competitiveness. The path forward, then, must be based in a clear understanding that the United States and Mexico are ultimately partners rather than competitors.
Crime Data and Spillover Violence along the Southwest Border
Oct 14, 2011As organized crime‐related violence has increased in northern Mexico, so has the heated rhetoric regarding the U.S. side of the border. The title of National Geographic’s program, Border Wars, exemplifies the sentiment, echoed by several politicians, that the border region is lawless and dangerous. For residents of the U.S. border region, thankfully, the reality is anything but that.
More than Neighbors
Sep 10, 2010An overview of Mexico's Politics, Economy, and Society and an assessment of key issues in U.S.-Mexico Relations with particular focus on economic integration, security cooperation, migration, and the U.S.-Mexico border.
Immigration and Security: Does the New Immigration Law Protect the People of Arizona?
Jul 29, 2010On July 29, the first pieces of Arizona’s new immigration law, SB 1070, take effect without the most controversial parts of the legislation. The sections that mandated that Arizona police enforce federal immigration laws have been blocked by a federal judge pending further review.1 If fully implemented, the law would direct police to ascertain the immigration status of people they stop or detain while enforcing other laws, make it a state crime for immigrants to not have papers documenting legal status in their possession, and otherwise increase state pressure on unauthorized (some would say all) immigrants.
GAO Report Finds Merida Initiative Needs Better Performance Measures
Jul 21, 2010On July 21st, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), released a report assessing the Merida Initiative—a security cooperation program that guides U.S.-Mexico collaboration to confront organized crime and drug trafficking organizations.
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Cities without Suburbs
Jun 12, 2013 to Jun 18, 2013
David Rusk, a former mayor of Albuquerque, joins us for a look at his book, “Cities without Suburbs.” Blair Ruble joins the discussion. Christopher Wilson discusses the newly released “The State of the Border Report."
America's Borders North & South
Apr 11, 2013 to Apr 16, 2013
A discussion of America’s borders with Wilson Center’s Canada Institute David Biette and Christopher Wilson, an associate with the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute.
