Includes bibliographical references and index

I.- Populations, impressions, values and Cultures: 1 Population tectonic: Life and death in North America/ Barbara Boyle Torrey- 2 Imagining each other/ Stephen Brooks-- 3 America pivots toward progressive Canada: Recent trajectories of social change in North America/ Michael Adams-- 4 Football, frats and fiscal peril vs. commuters, carping and rising costs: The new financial, social and psychological context of higher eduction in Canada and the United States/ Henry Srebrnik(with David M. Thomas)-- II.- Governance and governing mechanisms: 5 Past futures: federalism under stress/ David M. Thomas-6 Prime ministers and presidents: Instituttional differences nd political convergence/ Thomas M.J. Bateman-- 7 Turning out or tuning out? Electoral participation in Canada and the United States/ Michael D. Martinez-- 8 Legislatures and parties: Heightened divisions since the 1990s/ Melissa Haussman and Lori Turnbull-- 9 Two nations under law/ Hon Roger P. Kerans-- III.- Economic systems, taxation and safety nets: 10 Banks, banking regulatory mechnisms, nd the public interest: What's so different?/ Kathryn C. Lavelle and Tony Porter-- 11 Getting things straight: The complex world of budgetary policy/ Munir A. Sheikh-- 12 Health care in Canad and the United States/ Antonia Maioni-- 13 Choose your parents wisely: Economic inequality and mobility in Canada and the United States/ John Harles-- IV.- Policy differences, policy challenges and policy change: 14 So ner and yet so far: Washington and British Columbia in the New Century/ Jonathan W. Lampman and David M. Thomas-- 15 Environmental policy in Canada and the United States: Climate change and increasin distinctiveness/ Debora L. Vnnijnatten-- 16 First Nations: Turning promises into action?/ Kathy Brock-- 17 Reflections on foreign policies, defense budgets, borders, and the current state of the partnership/ David N. Biette and Alexandra Kuschner.