The North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, went into effect on January 1, 1994. The international trade agreement dropped trade barriers between The United States ,Mexico and Canada, and triggered many changes in people's lives.
One such change was the closure of a Maytag factory in Galesburg, Illinois and the subsequent move of those jobs to Reynosa, Mexico. A new book explores the relocation of that plant, its impact on the surrounding communities, and the stories of individuals involved in his new book "Boom, Bust, Exodus: The Rust Belt, the Maquilas and a Tale of Two Cities"
Do you think NAFTA was a bust - or did it help grow the larger economy - even though many of the working people and the middle class had to pay the price?
Guest:
- Chad Broughton, Senior Lecturer in public policy at the University of Chicago, author of the book "Boom, Bust, Exodus"