▁and ▁reg ulation ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁The ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁sust ained ▁economic ▁expansion ▁coinc ided ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁Canada , ▁Mexico ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁signed ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁Free ▁Trade ▁Ag re ement , ▁creating ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁free ▁trade ▁area . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Vic ente ▁Fox ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁non - PRI ▁candidate ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁Mexican ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁over ▁ 7 0 ▁years . ▁The ▁optim ism ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁was ▁sh atter ed ▁by ▁the ▁ 9 / 1 1 ▁attacks ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁which ▁prompt ed ▁military ▁inter vention ▁in ▁Afghan istan , ▁which ▁also ▁involved ▁Canada . ▁Canada ▁did ▁not ▁support ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁later ▁move ▁to ▁in va de ▁Ira q , ▁however . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁U . S . ▁the ▁Re agan ▁Era ▁of ▁conserv ative ▁national ▁policies , ▁der eg ulation ▁and ▁tax ▁cut s ▁took ▁control ▁with ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁political ▁scient ists ▁were ▁deb ating ▁whether ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁represented ▁an ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Re agan ▁Era , ▁or ▁was