NAFTA is more than a decade old, and will quite possibly expand beyond its three-country membership into either a Central American free trading zone or, more ambitiously, into a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Despite these deepening economic ties, which are emblematic of the globalization era, and the rules that will bind their interactions, countries will retain their sovereignty and domestic institutions. It is thus important to understand the institutions of each of the current NAFTA members, for at least two reasons: (1) assessing their ability to maintain their integrity in this regional economic integration era and (2) comparing their strengths and weaknesses.