This book explores the widely admitted failure of regional integration in this continent, linking the features of regional institutional arrangements with domestic politics and includes an inquiry into regionalism at the hemispherical level.
This book presents a theory of economic integration in developing regions, where the level of intraregional economic interdependence is low and the dependence on extra-regional economic relations is high. It argues that the success or failure of regional integration in the Global South is to a large degree dependent on the reaction of extra-regional actors in Europe, North America and Northeast Asia. In doing so, it demonstrates that longstanding European integration theories cannot be successfully applied to other world regions, where economic conditions are fundamentally different. By providing detailed empirical analyses that are systematic in their use of a common theoretical and methodological framework the authors fill a significant lacuna in our understanding of these issues. This edited volume will appeal to students and scholars of comparative regionalism, area studies and global governance.
This interdisciplinary edited volume explores the political economy of regionalism in Latin America. It identifies convergent forces which have existed in the region since its very conception and analyses these dynamics in their different historical, geographic and structural contexts. Particular attention is paid to key countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, as well as subregions like the Southern Cone and Central America. To understand the resilience of regionalism in Latin America, this book proposes to highlight four main issues. Firstly, that resilience is linked to mechanisms of self-enforcement that are part of the accumulation of experiences, institution building and common cultural features described in this book as regionalist acquis. Secondly, the elements and driving forces behind the promotion and expression of the regionalist acquis are influenced and shaped by nested systems in which social processes are inserted. Thirdly, when looking at systems, there is a particular influence by national and global ones, which condition the form and endurance of regional projects. Finally, beyond systems, the book highlights the relevance of agents as crucial players in the shaping of the resilience of regionalism in Latin America. This insightful collection will appeal to advanced students and researchers in international economics, international relations, international political economy, economic history and Latin American studies.
Comparative regional integration has met with increasing interest over the last twenty years with the emergence or reinforcing of new regional dynamics in the EU, NAFTA, MERCOSUR and ASEAN. This volume systematically and comparatively analyses the reasons for regional integration and stalemate in European, Latin American and Asian regional integration. It examines whether regional integration systems change in crisis periods, or more precisely in periods of economic crises, and why they change in different directions. Based on a neo-institutionalist research framework and rigorously comparative research design, the individual chapters analyse why financial and economic crises lead to more or less integrated systems and which factors lead to these institutional changes. Specifically it addresses institutional change in regional integration schemes, power relations between member states and the institutions in different policy domains, and change in individual or collective citizens’ attitudes towards regional integration. Adopting an actor-centred approach, the book highlights which regional integration schemes are influenced by economic and financial crises and how to explain this. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and policy specialists in regional integration, European Politics, International Relations, and Latin American and Asian studies.
In the late 1980s regional integration emerged as one of the most important developments in world politics. It is not a new phenomenon, however, and this 1999 book presents an analysis of integration across time, and across regions. Walter Mattli examines projects in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, but also in Latin America, North America and Asia since the 1950s. Using the tools of political economy, he considers why some integration schemes have succeeded while many others have failed; what forces drive the process of integration; and under what circumstances outside countries seek to join. Unlike traditional political science approaches, the book stresses the importance of market forces in determining the outcome of integration; but unlike purely economic analyses, it also highlights the impact of institutional factors. The book will provide students of political science, economics, and European studies with a framework for the study of international cooperation.
This book investigates efforts to promote the political and economic unification of Latin America. Every generation in the region has known some effort toward these goals. There were four major stages. The first endeavors were undertaken by diplomats, the second by idealists, the third by technocrats and the fourth stage is now dominated by pro-unification political leaders. Efforts toward integration promote the economies and political stability of these countries—Latin Americans were among the first of the old “third world” people to advance such programs. The political unification of Latin America has been stymied by the political class but this trend is currently being reversed with the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR). The recent accession of Venezuela after a grueling political-ideological struggle (examined in the book) has spurred other countries to seek full membership in the group. It is now the third largest trade bloc in the world and is continuing to grow. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.
This book, focused on the analysis of regional integration and dynamism in Latin American countries, takes a multidisciplinary approach to international business. It uses case studies of major industries to explore the impact of the Pacific Alliance.
Understanding Latin America's recent economic performance calls for a multidisciplinary analysis. This handbook looks at the interaction of economics and politics in the region and includes a number of contributions from top academic experts who have also served as key policy makers (a former president, ministers of finance, a central bank governor), reflecting upon the challenges of reform.
The European Union might be the most prominent example of regional integration but it is by far not the only one. The importance of regional integration in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and even in the Pacific Islands region is constantly growing. All these regions aspire for more than pure economic cooperation. In addition to intensified economic cooperation, political, legal and cultural aspects are important factors as well that form a Mixtum Compositum of regional integration elements. The present volume discusses these different components of regional integration in theoretical perspective and in a policy-oriented approach. It contributes to comparative regional integration studies through theoretical analysis and case studies from different regions. Elements of Regional Integration presents the main features of regional integration in an interdisciplinary manner. It addresses scholars of political sciences, economics and law as well as students and is suited as accompanying material for courses.