The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: Is Your Democracy Being Restricted?

Abstract

This paper will give an overview of the conflict between international trade agreements and the domestic constitution making ability. By drawing on the example of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, the difficulties with attempting to exclude the citizen at the domestic level from participating in the formation of international trade agreements will be highlighted and the paper will consider current processes for forming international trade agreements and alternatives to these processes which may alleviate the democratic deficits that exist.