Lobbying for International Free Trade Agreements: A Comprehensive Study of Effective Advocacy Tactics Applied during USMCA Negotiations

This thesis examines the role of lobbying as a profession in the United States, as seen through advocacy efforts for and against the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), an agreement which initially started as a very controversial piece of legislation and ultimately passed with significant bipartisan support. The thesis aims to answer one overarching question: what were the most effective lobbying tactics applied during the USMCA free trade agreement? Through an in-depth analyses of vocational lobbying, ethical and legal guidelines for lobbying rules of conduct, America’s tumultuous relationship with free trade, a USMCA case study, along with interviews with career lobbyists, business professionals, and congressional staffers, this thesis generates insight into lobbying efforts pertaining to the USMCA. Evaluating the controversial vocation of federal lobbying as applied during the USMCA negotiations can unearth a more nuanced finding of the role lobbying for international trade agreements plays in the contemporary United States.