Even as Mexico continues to struggle with grave security threats, its steady rise is transforming the country's economy, society, and political system. Given the Mexico's bright future and the interests it shares with the United States in energy, manufacturing, and security, Washington needs to start seeing its southern neighbor as a partner instead of a problem.

Jagdish Bhagwati contends that proposals for immigration reform centered on guestworker programs will be unsuccessful in stemming the inflow of undocumented workers.

Since 2006, the Mexican government has been in embroiled in a bloody drug war, which has failed to significantly curb trafficking. This Backgrounder looks at Mexico's eradication efforts, along with U.S. policy options for one of its most important regional allies.

Through an in-depth analysis of modern Mexico, Shannon O'Neil provides a roadmap for the United States' greatest overlooked foreign policy challenge of our time--relations with our southern neighbor.

Julia E. Sweig assesses the recent shift in Mexico's narrative under the newly inaugurated president, Enrique Peña Nieto, and the implications of this shift for Brazil.

President Obama and President-elect Peña Nieto of Mexico gave these remarks at the White House on November 28, 2012.

Listen to CFR Senior Fellow Shannon K. O'Neil and former foreign minister of Mexico Jorge G. Castañeda discuss President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto and the future of U.S.-Mexico relations.

In an op-ed that appeared this week in USA Today, O'Neil argued that the main obstacle to better relations between the two countries is Americans' perceptions of Mexico and its people:

"In Americans' psyches, drugs dominate. When advertising firm GSD&M and Vianovo strategic consultants asked Americans to come up with three words that describe Mexico, nearly every other person answered 'drugs,' followed by 'poor' and 'unsafe.' Other questions reveal Americans see Mexico as corrupt, unstable and violent, more problem than partner. Americans had more favorable views of Greece, El Salvador and Russia."

Read O'Neil's USA Today op-ed "Mexico Isn't a Gangland Gunbattle."

In the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs, Castañeda and historian Héctor Aguilar Camín claim that there is a political mandate in Mexico that calls for less corruption, greater rule of law, and improved economic justice:

"Mexicans' clamor for prosperity is no longer negotiable, and today, the country is less than a generation away from becoming the full-fledged middle-class society it aspires to be. But only if it gets to work now."

Read Camín and Castañeda's essay "Mexico's Age of Agreement."

Shannon K. O'Neil says, "[American] perceptions reflect the Mexican reality that dominates headlines: soaring crime rates and gruesome murders in a war against drug traffickers. But this window into Mexico overlooks an economic transformation and deepening ties with the United States that reflect a dramatically different country."

Mexico has long been hostage to unchallengeable traditions: its nationalist approach to oil wealth, overly sensitive attitude toward sovereignty, entrenched labor monopolies, persistent corruption, and self-serving bureaucracy.

Meghan O'Sullivan says Mexican oil reforms are critical to both the United States and Mexico, and both countries will benefit from success -- or suffer from failure.

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen argue that technology can play a big role in the fight against drug cartels.

The New Yorker details the fight for Guadalajara, Mexico.

Whoever wins Mexico's presidential election will need to jumpstart economic growth, work toward energy reform, and deal with a violent drug war, says CFR's Shannon K. O'Neil.

A Fortune investigation finds that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

Shannon K. O'Neil examines pledges by Mexico's presidential candidates to shift drug war priorities from arresting traffickers to reducing horrific violence.

Julia E. Sweig analyzes expectations and measurements of success at this week's G-20 Summit in Mexico and Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil.

President Obama and Mexican president Calderón gave these joint remarks after their meeting at the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18, 2012.

This New York Times Magazine piece investigates how the world's most powerful drug traffickers run their billion-dollar business.

Despite their overwhelming success as trade partners, the U.S. and Mexico face a new generation of obstacles in their border region. This Wilson Center report explores those obstacles.

Mexico is winning its death match against the drug cartels and rebuilding once-corrupt institutions in the process. But an election is approaching, and the candidates are calling for a truce. Mexico can take its place in the sun, but only if it wipes out the cartels for good.