Class 5 Flashcards
What is Regionalism?
Regionalism is a an increase in social integration within a region, putting a particular emphasis on the autonomous economic processes that lead to higher levels of economic interdependence or another shared goal such as security/defense
When in history did it occur regionalism separatism and regionalism at the same time?
Immediatly after 2nd ww there was the creation of NATO, but at the same time the creation of the Warsaw pact for soviet europe, regionalism separatism, but the same occured at the economic and political level, the creation of the ecc and socecon. The Soviet Union formed this alliance as a counterbalance to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a collective security alliance concluded between the United States, Canada and Western European nations in 1949.
So, when we speak about reginal orgs the first question that immediatly is raised is what is the ratinonal for this orgs? What do the states win? v
There are different reasons, the first one is geographical proximity, generates more economic interdependence, favors many times cultural similarities, generating identities, geographic proximity eases regional cooperation.
Can be cultural, economical, political, and some times this different kinds of drivers are linked with external threats, that favor internal cooperation of the regime. Different cultures generate self identity (europe and discoveries, or christians with turks), common identity, confronts with other cultures generate identity of belomnging in regional bloc.
Western europe after 2nd ww cohesion generated by the political threat of soviet bloc, as well as security and military level.
Regionalism is some times, stressed, enhanced by threats that favor cohesion.
National interests can favor regional cooperation, strong exported oriented industries favor the openess to external trade, (MERCOSUR, NAFTA) or even European Community.
Whatt are the two waves of regionalism that correspond to 2 different world orders ??
1st Wave: 1950s - 1960s
2nd Wave: 1980s - 1990s (After end of Cold War)
All international organizations began in the 45-50 were all developed according to the same principle of international cooperation, the org formed to manage the Marshall Plan, international economic cooperation and the same in 49 with NATO launched, military international cooperation. (cooperation intergovernmental orgs)
The 50s, ECSC, the principle was not anymore the principle of cooperation, the principle was integration (economic), and this changed everything. (integration is supranational orgs). With a clear political purpose that was to obtain peace, security. Was a great success for the 6 founding members, and the Europeans tried to launch another org, under the same principal, but millitary and political, but was a huge failure.
The principle integration failure had a strong consequence, because the failure, introduced 2 trends,
1st one was the cleavage between the economic europe that developed and reinforced under the principle of integration, and the political and military europe that simple disapeared,
and late in 1970s when reapered when was to realunch political europe it came under the principle of cooperation, not integration.
The 2nd was he introduction of a taboo that was defense, no defense, no security in what concerns europe integration, and is a question of NATO, NATO is the only true org responsible for the security of NATO.
Describe the creation of Nato and the Principle of mutual aid and principal of collective defense.
At the end of 2ndWW, begining of Cold War, the perception of soviet threat was growing, for different reasons, the red army continued to be in the western europe, … the perception of threat in western europe of the soviet bloc continued growing.
The core business of Washighton treaty is the article 5, an atack against one of the members shall be considered an attack on all members of the alliance.- Principle of mutual aid and principal of collective defense.
How has NATO transformed itself over time?
In the last 70 years NATO has transformed according that change in threats and in the world.
We can find in history of NATO 2 main different periods, during and pos cold war. The main function of NATO during the cold war was the containment of the soviet threat, the mission of the alliance was collective defense, and the area of application was north atlantic.
Everything changed at the end of cold war, the raison d etre of the alliance disappeared, NATO had 2 alternatives, either estinguish or transform, and transformation it was. NATO was obliged to change its product, from collective defense to be security provider in the world, changed the international functionality of the org. Changed at the same time the regime of application, during cold war was restricted to europe and atlantic, and after is to the whole world, from that moment on we had 2 different trends.
1st one was a political trend and the 2nd was a military trend.
At the political level the big change was enlargement, NATO accept inside the org the former enemies of the soviet bloc, and progressively the old enemies became the new allies. NATO enlargement was important because was the symbolic sign of the victory of NATO, but the political way to show the victory was the enlargement.
The 2nd the change of collective defence to international security.
What’s the difference between Collective defense vs. collective security
Collective defense vs. collective security
Collective security: assuring security to different parties, them being allied, neutral, or antagonistic
Collective defense: pact between multiple parties to defend one to each other
Why is NATO in crisis?
NATO crisis is not at the military level, but at the political level, during the Trump admin, the question of leadership, it were the US, but during the Trump admin they were not, he criticized the alliance, and there was a crisis of confidence that paralised the alliance, but the new admin at the begining changed the American position and reafirmed the position of the US inside the alliance, the Biden admin has had 2 events that undermine the confidence between europeans and americans. The 1st was the withdraw of afeghanistan, and 2nd was the AUKUS, alliance in the pacific without the knowledge or participation of european countries.
WHy is EU so difficult to define?
EU is a unique entity, and does not fit any of the tipologies we know in international relations, or political science. Because, is always inbetween, EU is more than intergovernmental and less than supranational, more than an international organization but less than a federal state. Has a uniqueness at this level, and that is why is difficult to define according to our normal typologies.
What have been the main landmarks in the evolution OF Eu integration
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40s are characterized by reconstution of Europe after Wars and principle of cooperation
50s are characterized by principle of integration, with success in technological and economic perspectives, and the complete failure of political and military Europe
60s are characterized by crisis and stagnation in the process of European Integration, sovereignty (de Gaulle - empty chair policy)
70s are characterized by the relaunch of the european integration, two trends, the first one was the enlargement, the 2nd was the relaunch of the political europe with the new institution with european political cooperation (intergovernemntal)
80s are chracterized by a second enlargement (southern europe) and the movement of deeping the european integration and tentative launch of internal market
90s are chracterized by a big change, end of cold war and transformation of the European Comunity in the European Unity, and the main change was the fact the two different europes, economic and political, joined the same institutional structure, but in 3 different pillars.The community pillar, foreign and security pillar (intergovernmental), justice and home affairs pillar (intergovernmental). From that moment on two different europes had the same structure but the decision making process are diferent. Other important was the third enlargement and lastly the first steps of the monetary union.
00s and 10s are characterized by new policies, security and defence and period of crisis
Mains theoris of integration that can explain the EU:
Classical Theory - Federalism
Functionalism or Neo-Functionalism,explain the begining of EU integration. the idea is that this is a very particular process and the process is the streghning of relationships between the elites that over or under the states that push for integration, this is the way we can explain for instance the ECSC
Intergovernmentalism - based on the political will of states, is not the economic interdependence, is not the technological and economic relationship between elites. Explain the period of deeping of european integration after Maastricht, which are based on the sign of treaties.
All this 3 theoritical lines came from international Relations
Multilevel governence - tried to explain european integration, not with the model of IR, which is seen by the outside, but by inside approach, the EU is not a international org but a domestic actor with different levels, and the governance explains this type of integration, by the supranational, national and subnational relation. Supranational relates to european intitution, Nationnal the governemnt of member states, Subnational by different regions inside the member state (political science view).
Simon Hix key points / European Union key points:
Simon Hix key points / European Union key points:
EU has evolved from an organization governing coal and steel production and a common market to a continental-scale political system, with extensive executive, legislative, and judicial powers
The process of European integration began with 6 members and EU now has 27 members
EU shares many characteristics of other multilevel political systems, enabling tools of comparative politics to be applied to EU
