The essay is intended to get an idea of cross-border relations between two countries. The focus will be on the two cities of San Diego and Tijuana. Although both cities have a similar population and climatic conditions, they differ in many ways. Thus, although both cities have a clear economic development through globalization trends, but in completely different ways. San Diego is considered one of the technology strongholds of the world and is one of the cities with the highest income in the US. The economic development of Tijuana is particularly explained by the maquiladoras (remanufacturing companies), where the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allows almost complete duty-free processing of products. These disparities are also reflected in the economic comparison of the two cities: despite a similar population, San Diego’s total GDP is approximately eleven times that of Tijuana’s.The essay also seeks to interpret the term “border” from the perspective of two IR-theories (presumably realism and post-structuralism). Based on both theories, the question will be answered, why border towns, despite similar conditions, developed differently and how cross-border cities build a relationship and profit from each other. The theoretical framework will then be applied to the case study of San Diego and Tijuana, analysing which theory is more fitting in the given region.Possible sections of the essay:1. Introduction2. Methodology3. A theoretical approach on bordersa. From a realism perspectiveb. From a post-structuralism perspective
