Exploring the New South American Regionalism (NSAR): (The International Political Economy of New Regionalisms Series)

The events and processes that have taken place in the last decade in South America have given way to one of the most interesting regional phenomena under a global crisis and within a changing world order. From the traditional status of Washington's backyard and reign of economic and political stability, South America has increasingly turned into a region marked by a heterodox development in the light of other dominant regional tendencies of development-the European Union, NAFTA and the Asia Pacific. The political economic nature of the new South American regionalism (NSAR) is far from echoing the dominant interpretations about it, which reflects the major regional projects today. Given the reach and scope of the existing literature on the topic of the NSAR, there is an important gap concerning its academic exploration in relation to its nature of development, political economic complexity, challenges and orientations. In this sense, this book explores, from a wider and pluralist political economic perspective, the developmental dimensions of the NSAR within a changing hemispheric and world order in transformation. It analyses a set of specific debates: regionalism in the Americas then and now; social and economic development and regional integration; and organized crime, intelligence and defence. An in depth and critical reflection on the complex and heterogeneous path of regionalization taking place in South America from different perspectives and in key issues of regional development.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface, Anthony Payne; Introduction: contours of the new South American regionalism, Ernesto Vivares. Part I Thinking and Conceptualizing about Regionalism in the Americas: Toward a political economy of the new South American regionalism, Ernesto Vivares; The origins of the Union of South American Nations: a multicausal account of South American regionalism, Carlos Espinosa; Washington and the new South American regionalism, Francisco Carrión Mena; East Asian economic cooperation: lessons for South American regionalism, John Wong. Part II Economic and Social Development: The need for a new South American economic regionalization, Renato Bauman; Incorporation and regionalism in Latin America, Juliana Martínez Franzoni and Diego Sánchez-Ancochea; Rescaling responsibilities and rights: the case of UNASUR health, Pía Riggirozzi; Global contexts and challenges of building a regional governance of social policy and its implications for South America, Nicola Yeates. Part III Broadening Regionalism: Crime, Intelligence and Defense: Drug trafficking and organized crime: UNASUR perspectives, Daniel Pontón; Defense and the new South American regionalism: exploring new conditions and perspectives on defense in South America, Germán Montenegro; Trends, strategic tension, and cooperation in security and intelligence in the Andean region, Fredy Rivera Vélez. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author :
Ernesto Vivares, FLACSO, Ecuador. Anthony Payne, Ernesto Vivares, Carlos Espinosa, Francisco Carrión Mena, John Wong, Renato Bauman, Juliana Martínez Franzoni, Diego Sánchez-Ancochea, Pía Riggirozzi, Nicola Yeates, Daniel Pontón, Germán Montenegro, Fredy Rivera Vélez

Review :
'This much-awaited book is the most impressive account of the regional dynamics of development in South America in recent decades. In a balanced way, it uncovers how the region is reconfigured by forces and changes from inside as well as outside the region. The book is also a major contribution to "new" and comparative regionalism more broadly. It is crucial reading for anyone who can accept that South American regionalism is not simply an emulation of regional projects and models in other parts of the world.' Fredrik Soderbaum, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and United Nations University-Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), Belgium 'South America is undertaking daunting challenges in the politics of development. This book shows us what is at stake in the multiple areas of region building.' Diana Tussie, FLACSO, Argentina