North America and the Transatlantic Area

Publication Title

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism

Document Type

Book Chapter - Open Access

Department or Program

Sociology

Publication Date

2016

Keywords

North America, institutional design, regionalism, institutional design, regionalization

Abstract

NAFTA is only one instance of regionalism in North America. A number of smaller and more localized initiatives covering the economy, environment, security, and other issue-areas are also in place. All share limited institutional designs. Broader transatlantic initiatives, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), also constitute cases of regionalism in North America. The region has in turn experienced extensive regionalization: cross-border spaces where dense but also amorphous and fluid linkages of various kinds—migratory, cultural, epistemic, and more—are at work. This chapter examines the literatures on regionalism and regionalization in North America. It notes that those literatures have by and large developed separately. Yet, it also argues that comparative assessment of the two can be quite fruitful and more dialogue between the two camps would certainly be beneficial. The chapter concludes by identifying exciting future areas of research.

Comments

Original version is available from the publisher at: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199682300.013.8

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