Shaffer Bonewell

Ph.D. student, History

Research Interests:

Shaffer studies modern American foreign relations, political history, and the history of American trade policy. His dissertation, ‘From the Yukon to Yucatan,’ focuses on the intersection of domestic politics and foreign policy during the negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Often remembered in history from third-party candidate Ross Perot’s ubiquitous “giant sucking sound” quote, Shaffer asserts that NAFTA should instead be understood as a pivotal part of Bush’s grand strategy for the United States after the end of the Cold War. However, he also highlights how Congress, labor unions, and environmental interest groups sought to leave their own mark on the agreement as they protested or supported its ratification. At a key moment in history, Shaffer argues that the negotiation and ratification of NAFTA reveals how the intersection of foreign policy goals and domestic interests come together to shape how America and Americans interact with the wider world. 

Road to the Moody School:

Born and raised in a small town in Arkansas, Shaffer earned his B.A. in History with a minor in Anthropology from Arkansas Tech University in 2016.  He then went on to earn his master’s degree in history at the University of North Texas. In the fall of 2019 Shaffer was accepted to SMU’s history Ph.D. program as a part of the William P. Clements Department of History. During his time at SMU, he received support for his dissertation project from the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations and the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and their three cats as well as playing games with his friends.