New theoretical and empirical directions in North American regionalism

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel explores new ways to conceptualize regionalism through a North American lens. While most analyses abandoned a comprehensive study of North America (NA) as a region to focus on trade and commercial integration, the panelists present an updated regional research agenda, drawing on history, empirical analyses of the current landscape, and conceptual and theoretical reviews in an attempt to bring NA back into the studies of comparative regionalism. These timely theoretical and empirical insights span across different topics, such as security, environmental affairs, energy, and regulatory cooperation.
In his paper, Tom Long calls for a re-conceptualization of “region” and introduces thought-provoking propositions that suggest that regions may display less institutional cohesiveness than the literature implies. Marcela López-Vallejo advocates for reconsidering North American regionalism to include environmental vulnerabilities, a topic systematically overlooked in regional trade negotiations, which calls into question the innovative character of the updated NAFTA. Inu Manak’s paper underscores the advantages of regulatory cooperation, pointing out that divergent regulations impose barriers to deeper integration among countries that have deeply intertwined supply chains. Daniela Stevens assesses the impact that the liberalization of the Mexican energy sector will have in NA, highlighting the relevance of new actors and institutions, and of old players undergoing major transformations, such as Pemex. Gema Kloppe-Santamaría examines U.S.-Mexico security cooperation in regard to drug control and criminalization, as well as the impact of this cooperation on Mexico’s governance in federal, regional, and local levels.

Sub Track

• International Relations

Session Organizer

• Laura D Stevens León

Chair

• Maria Celia Toro, El Colegio de México

Discussant

• Rafael Fernandez de Castro, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, UC San Diego

Individual Presentations

• Rethinking "region" through North America - Tom Long, University of Warwick

• Re-thinking the North American Regionalism Project and the Environment: What NAFTA 2.0 missed...once again - Marcela López-Vallejo Olvera, Universidad de Guadalajara

• A New North America? Regional consequences of the energy liberalization in Mexico - Laura D Stevens León

• The Future of Regulatory Cooperation in North America - Inu Manak

• Waging a War on Drugs on Both Sides of the Border: U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation and its Effects on Mexico’s Governance - Gema Kloppe-Santamaria, Loyola University Chicago