REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN AMERICA (2 SCU)

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to: identify  key perspectives and concepts on regional integration; describe important development of regional Integration that takes place in American Hemisphere; explain issues and policy options that affect the development of regional integration in America; analyze the systemic change that affects the development of regional integration in America.

Topics:

1. Introduction to Regional Integration;
2. Theoretical perspective on regional integration: – Realism – Liberalism – Constructivism;
3. Inter-governmentalist approach to integration: – Re-building the Central American Block in the 199s – Presidentialism and Mercosur;
4. Neo-functionalist Approach to integration: – UNASUR as case study;
5. Constructivist approach to integration: – Mutual perception and the Andean Community CAN in the case of CAN;
6. Process of Regional Integration in America: – NAFTA -Regional integration in North America;
7. Political and social arrangement in Latin America – ALBA as case study;
8. Consistency and Resilience through Cycles of Repoliticization: – Central America – The Andean region;
9. Defence in a post-Hegemonic regional agenda: the case of the South  – South American Defence Council (SADC);
10. Cooperation for the provision of regional public goods: the IIRSA Case: – Projection Identification and regulatory harmonization – Investment and financing;
11. The rise of Monetary agreements in South America: – Supra-National Global Reserve Currency – Regional Monetary Arrangement;
12. Socio-Environmental Regionalism in South America: Tensions in New Development Models: – Resource driven integration – Civil society and regional governance;
13. New Regionalism and civil society: Bridging the democratic gap: – Social agenda – Civil society participation in regional projects.