Regionalism and the State : NAFTA and Foreign Policy Convergence

This book summarizes the theoretical debate on the study of regionalism from the perspective of the agent-structure relationship, examines the hypothesis of foreign policy convergence, and provides a justification for the choice to study NAFTA.

Empirically rich with highly detailed case studies on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), this comprehensive volume studies the relationship between regionalism and state behavior. The traditional pattern of past studies of regionalism and regional integration has been to understand how state strategies molded the dynamics of an integration process. This study examines the impact of regionalism on the policy preferences of member states. This volume offers three theoretical contributions: � an empirical test of the convergence hypothesis � studies of institutions and their impact on domestic politics � an examination of foreign policy preferences and the neo-functionalist concept of ''spill-over'' Recommended reading for students of regionalism, international political economy, international trade, foreign policy and North American studies.