Different Forms of Regionalism

Question 1

what are the different forms/types of regionalism?

Answer 1

there are 3 types of regionalism: economic, security and political

Question 2

what is economic regionalism?

Answer 2

The coming together of states from a geographical region for the purpose of cooperation in order to increase economic opportunities

focuses on the financial and trade-related aspects of regional co-operation

economic regional organisations are trade blocs of one type or another

the vast majority of countries now belong to a regional trade bloc

EXAMPLE = NAFTA

Question 3

what is security regionalism?

Answer 3

involves regional organisations trying to achieve peace and security through various methods

some aim to achieve stability within the group by enhancing interdependence and interconnectedness, making war impossible due to the closeness of interactions between member states

while others seek to achieve peace through binding the member states against a common enemy

ASEAN originally fell into the second category, as the five original members had a shared fear of the growth of communism in South East Asia

Question 4

what is political regionalism?

Answer 4

when states that share the same values seek to protect them and enhance their standing and voice in the world

both the AU and the Arab League had their foundations in this type of regionalism

Question 5

how do the three types of regionalism overlap?

Answer 5

a difficulty with this categorisation is that there is considerable overlap between the three types of regionalism and they tend to feed each other

for example, security is achieved through economic co-operation and protection of values is achieved through security and economics

regional organisations also develop over time and become more integrated, they may start out as one type of organisation, but adapt and become another type later

Question 6

h

Answer 6

There is not just one form of regionalism there are many different types of regionalism which depend on the ways in which the states decide to work together and the exact objectives they have

Regionalism takes three different forms economic security and political regionalism

These are not exclusive or regionalism can be one or more of these types

Question 7

h

Answer 7

While organisations may have been set up with specific aims to achieve one form of regionalism they change and develop over time to become involved with a far wider range of issues that can include all three forms of regionalism

Question 8

economic regionalism:

Answer 8

Economies often thrive in larger areas and economic regionalism is an attempt to capitalise on the importance of size in an economy

When several states come together to cooperate on matters of finance and trade their combined economies can be much stronger than they would be alone

Question 9

economic regionalism:

Answer 9

The most common type of economic regionalism is a trade block Westates negotiate a trade policy which prioritises other members of the region and can exclude or at least impose a common tariff on states outside the region

Question 10

economic regionalism:

Answer 10

Because the advantages of being within a trade block on more secure than the possible comparative advantages of remaining outside a trade block most countries around the world are now engaged in some form of economic regionalism

Question 11

economic regionalism:

Answer 11

This has become increasingly important since the late 1980s with the wave of new regionalism That saw the growth and deepening of regional trade blocs

Question 12

economic regionalism:

Answer 12

Most regional economic blocs are either…

A free trade area — reduced barriers and tariffs to trade between member states

A customs union — a free trade area plus tariffs on the rest of the world

A common market — a customs union plus free movement of labour and capital

Question 14

security regionalism:

Answer 14

States within close proximity of one another often have similar security concerns

The attempt to create and maintain regional security organisations is an effort to stop one of the age-old problems of state conflict: conflict with neighbouring states

Question 15

security regionalism:

Answer 15

In order to prevent state conflict regional security organisations come in one of two forms

The first is to increase the interdependence of states-any state which is connected to its regional neighbours will be unable to engage in conflict with them without significantly damaging their own interests

This may seem cynical but the theory is born out of a rejection of the tension that Isolationist nationalism caused and continues to cause between states

Question 16

security regionalism:

Answer 16

The second way that regional organisations may aim to prevent state conflict is that regional security organisations can be created which bind states in opposition to an external enemy

One might think of the parallel ways in which NATO and the Warsaw Pact (a collective defence treaty signed between the Soviet union and seven of its satellite states) were created each in order to counteract the threat posed by the other

Question 17

political regionalism:

Answer 17

This is when states with similar political cultures and values decide to form a regional organisation in order to encourage corporation between them and to increase their political influence across the world

Political regionalism is where there is institutionalised cooperation among states to protect or enhance their shared values

this in turn creates greater soft power through their heightened image and reputation

Question 18

political regionalism:

Answer 18

The most ambitious attempts at regional political organisations even include cross state representation and political alliances such as those which are commonplace in the European Union

Question 19

h

Answer 19

It is rare that any regional organisation will only be one of these three types

most regional organisations combine aspects of each of the types of regionalism

A regional organisation can start as one type of regionalism and then evolve into another

for example the earliest form of regional cooperation in Europe which came to be the European Union started as the European coal and steel community a mainly economic organisation

Question 20

y

Answer 20

The different forms of regionalism might constitute different policy goals and outcomes but they all have one overriding principle in mind: states which work together can overcome challenges which states working alone cannot

Economic regionalism allows for states to enlarge their economies in a competitive global market

security regionalism can keep state safe from external threats and make them less likely to turn on one another

political regionalism can grant groups and states a role on the global stage which they would be unable to achieve on their own

Question 21

differences between types of regionalism:

Answer 21

Economic regionalism focuses on economic progress free trade and removing barriers to trade within the region

Political regionalism focuses on resolving challenges and maximising opportunities that two or more states face e.g. climate change or terrorism

Security regionalism focuses on defence and security against shared threats, There will often be shared political ties too

Question 22

differences between types of regionalism:

Answer 22

Economic regionalism must have interdependent economies and economic interests but does not necessarily need a common cultural interest and does not need longer term strategic aims

Political regionalism needs longer term strategic aims and to some extent relies on shared values and so there need to be cultural similarities

Question 23

differences between types of regionalism:

Answer 23

Economic regionalism tends to be more outward looking than political regional blocks including reaching trade deals as a block with other states outside the region

political regionalism is likely to be more inward looking and acting in the region’s self interest

Security regionalism tends to be inward looking because territorial borders are especially important and these states have a common interest in protecting this area e.g. against a common threat

Question 24

differences between types of regionalism:

Answer 24

economic regionalism Involves limited erosion of sovereignty except in the case of a single regional currency like the euro which involves considerable impact on sovereignty

political regionalism — the emphasis on pooled sovereignty and deeper integration means there is more of an erosion of sovereignty

political regionalism enables states to form common positions and achieve greater influence through pooling sovereignty, particularly in the case of smaller states

Security regionalism may have some impact on sovereignty because of the emphasis on the common defence policy but this might be quite specific and so limited to a certain context

Question 25

security regionalism:

Answer 25

Involves Institutionalised cooperation with the aim of protecting member states against their enemies both remote or within the region

Question 26

security regionalism:

Answer 26

Security regionalism grew in the first phase of regionalism from the end of World War II to the 1990s as a response to specific threats

The European coal and steel community was established in 1952 to create peace through cooperation between France and Germany to prevent future wars

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established in 1967 to create a region that was strong enough to defend itself against communism

Question 27

differences between types of regionalism:

Answer 27

The growth of economic regionalism is driven by economic globalisation

Regionalism is the method that states often used to manage the effects of globalisation either as a protection against it or to turbocharge their integration into the global market

the growth of political regionalism is driven by the desire for greater political influence — this can be seen in the establishment of the Arab League in 1945 and the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 (which transformed into the African Union in 2002)

the vision of the AU is for “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”