33.1.1 Growth of regionalism and regionalism in different forms, including economic, security and political

The different forms of Regionalism

Economic

• States that have shared economic aims and therefore incentives to cooperate as a regional bloc
• Often these are therefore trading deals and partnerships g. NAFTA, TTIP (transatlantic trade and investment partnership between the EU and USA), TPP (trans-pacific partnership for states on the pacific ring excluding USA and China).
• Aim is to pool and share resources (possibly through sharing boarders - EU) to make trade as easy as possible and allow the free movement of resources.
• Increase trade and access a bigger market meaning a boost to the regional economy
• States also use regional protectionist policies to protect domestic trade e.g. places may limit their quotas from outside regions by restricting imports and therefore domestic populations are encouraged to buy from within the region.
• The EU, for example, is protectionist over its agricultural industry. They use a CAP to offer farmers subsidies which enable them to produce cheaper products thereby encouraging EU citizens to buy these products over more expensive ones outside of the region.

Political

• Focuses on tackling collective action problems that two or more states within a particular region are faced with g. Migration, climate change, growing powers, taxation, weapons of mass destruction
• It can be a deeper form of integration as it requires shared cultural ties and a common value system which give a regional bloc a more distinct identity (shared values and interests helps cooperation)
• Countries that enter a political regional system will be pooling their sovereignty in an aim to be more influential as a unified body
• Political regionalism can significantly increase states structural power within IGO's and informal forums g. EU is a member of the G20 and also an observer state of the UN

Over time regionalism has evolved to include both a widening and a deepening of regional relations. Widening = expansion of regional blocs with many states wanting to join e.g. EU

Deepening = greater involvement of states in regional blocs or that sovereignty is pooled.

Security

• Pooling resources and sharing police resources to support allies
• e.g. EU arrest warrant means that all police in EU member states have the power to arrest anyone and send them back to their home country.
• NATO initially emerged as a defence against communist Russia during the cold war and now aims to deal with growing powers (Russia and China), nato remains the most powerful security organisation
• Dealing weapons between allied states
• e.g. The AU peacekeeping operations with troops from 5-6 states all contributing to one operation
• The EU aimed to get more influence over security policy through its common foreign and security policy (CFSP)
• Between regional organisations, there is less of a focus on security as regions are often divided on opinions of conflict e.g. Iraq war 2003