The Waves of Regionalism in the Americas

This chapter provides an overview of the academic debate surrounding regionalism in the Americas, exploring its evolving dynamics and characteristics over time. It examines various regionalist experiences within their historical contexts, analysing how these initiatives were shaped by and responded to political transformations throughout their development. This discussion is framed within the broader literature on comparative regionalism and regional integration theories, highlighting how scholars have interpreted these shifts. Building on existing research, we argue that regionalism in the Americas can be categorised into four distinct temporal waves: Closed Regionalism (1945–1980), Open Regionalism (1980–2000), Post-Liberal Regionalism (2000–2010), and Liquid Regionalism (2010–present). Across its sections, we explore the defining characteristics and associated initiatives of the first three waves, as extensively documented in the literature.