![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
The aim of this article is to analyse the performance of regionalism in the Global South through a comparative analysis of Mercosur and Ecowas with regard to the trade and democracy protection agendas, by contrasting their institutional design and regional leadership concerning the two issues. Firstly, it analyses the evolution of intra-regional trade as well as the trade agenda of each bloc concerning international negotiations with other states or economic blocs. Secondly, it discusses the relevance of democratic stability in the two regional organisations and how each organisation has performed in cases of democratic rupture in member states. When comparing the dynamics of the two organisations, we argue that differences in terms of institutional design and regional leadership have meant that Ecowas has been less ambitious than Mercosur in its trade agenda, but more decisive vis-à-vis the region’s democratic stability. Thus, this article aims to contribute to the comparative regionalism literature, setting out an analytical comparative framework for assessing the performance of regional organisations, which remains a difficult task for this particular research agenda.
KEYWORDS:
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Fernanda Teixeira (University of Manchester) for collection and analysis of the data on trade from the WTO database.
Notes
1 Acharya, Making of Southeast Asia, 26.
2 Hurrell, “One World? Many Worlds?”
3 Hettne and Söderbaum, “Theorising the Rise of Regionness.”
4 Börzel and Risse, Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism, 22.
5 Lombaerde, Assessment and Measurement of Regional Integration; Lombaerde and Acosta, Indicator-Based Monitoring of Regional Economic Integration.
6 Vleuten and Hoffmann, “Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy.”
7 Stoddard, “Authoritarian Regimes in Democratic Regional Organisations”; Kneuer et al., “Playing the Regional Card.”
8 Gardini, Origins of Mercosur.
9 Fioramonti and Mattheis, “Is Africa Really Following Europe?”
10 Rüland and Bechle, “Defending State-Centric Regionalism”; Mattheis, New Regionalism in the South; Ramanzini Júnior and Luciano, “Comparative Analysis of Regionalism in the Global South.”
11 Jorgensen, Oberthur, and Shahin, “introduction: Assessing the EU’s Performance”; Bergmann and Niemann, “Mediating International Conflicts”; Oberthur and Groen, “Effectiveness Dimension of the EU’s Performance.”
12 Genna, “Measuring Integration Achievements in the Americas,” 172.
13 Gutner and Thompson, “Politics of IO Performance,” 232.
14 Young, “Effectiveness of International Institutions,” 164.
15 Acharya and Johnston, Crafting Cooperation.
16 Bergmann and Niemann, “Mediating International Conflicts.”
17 Jorgensen, Oberthur, and Shahin, “introduction: Assessing the EU’s Performance.”
18 Oberthur and Groen, “Effectiveness Dimension of the EU’s Performance.”
19 Haas, Uniting of Europe; Nye, “Comparative Regional Integration: Concept and Measurement.”
20 Genna and Lombaerde, “Small N Methodological Challenges.”
21 Börzel and Risse, Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism.
22 Ramanzini Júnior and Luciano, “Comparative Analysis of Regionalism in the Global South.”
23 Young, “The Effectiveness of International Institutions,” 163.
24 Gutner and Thompson, “Politics of IO Performance,” 232.
25 Gardini, Origins of Mercosur.
26 Vigevani and Ramanzini Júnior, “Impact of Domestic Politics and International Changes”; Mariano, A política externa brasileira e a integração regional.
27 Common Market Council, “Resolution 32/00,” 1.
28 World Trade Organization, “Trade Statistics”; Baumann, “O Mercosul aos vinte anos.”
29 Basnet and Pradhan, “Regional Economic Integration in Mercosur,” 1.
30 Vleuten and Hoffmann, “Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy.”
31 Jatobá and Luciano, “Deposition of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo.”
32 Oloruntoba, “ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa.”
33 Hulse, “Actorness beyond the European Union,” 556.
34 Lopez-Lucia, “Regional Powers and Regional Security Governance,” 354.
35 Shuaibu, “Does Trade Tariff Liberalisation Matter,” 84.
36 Afesoghor and van Begeijk, “Multi-Membership and the Effectiveness of Regional Trade Agreements.”
37 Ibid.
38 Afesorgbor and van Begeijk, “Measuring Multi-Membership in Economic Integration.”
39 Oloruntoba, “ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa.”
40 Afesoghor and van Begeijk, “Multi-Membership and the Effectiveness of Regional Trade Agreements,” 15.
41 World Trade Organization, “Trade Statistics.”
42 Shuaibu, “Does Trade Tariff Liberalisation Matter.”
43 Hulse, “Actorness beyond the European Union,” 557.
44 Ibid., 555.
45 Olaruntoba, “ECOWAS and Regional Integration in West Africa.”
46 Stoddard, “Authoritarian Regimes in Democratic Regional Organisations,” 470.
47 Lopez-Lucia, “Regional Powers and Regional Security Governance.”
48 ECOWAS, Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
49 Ebobrah, “Critical Issues in the Human Rights Mandate.”
50 Ojomo, “Competing Competences in Adjudication.”
51 Stoddard, “Authoritarian Regimes in Democratic Regional Organisations,” 474.
52 Ibid.
53 Acharya and Johnston, Crafting Cooperation, 28.
54 WTO, “WTO Data Portal.”
55 ECOWAS Commission. Annual Report.
56 Vigevani and Ramanzini Júnior, “Impact of Domestic Politics and International Changes”; Lazarou and Luciano, “Regionalism as an Instrument.”
57 Vleuten and Hoffmann, “Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy,” 741.
58 Lopez-Lucia, “Regional Powers and Regional Security Governance.”
59 Vigevani and Ramanzini Júnior, “Impact of Domestic Politics and International Changes.”
60 Mariano, A política externa brasileira e a integração regional.
61 Carranza, “Mercosur and the Endgame of the FTAA Negotiations.”
62 Lazarou and Luciano, “Regionalism as an Instrument”; Lopez-Lucia, “Regional Powers and Regional Security Governance.”
63 Mattli, Logic of Regional Integration.
64 Hulse, “Actorness Beyond the European Union.”
65 UNECA, “Nigeria Not against African Continental Free Trade Agreement.”
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Haroldo Ramanzini Júnior
Haroldo Ramanzini Júnior is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), Brazil. National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) Productivity Research Fellow. Visiting Scholar, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation – Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2017–2018). His work has been published in Latin American Politics and Society, Global Society, Latin American Research Review, Journal of World Trade, South African Journal of International Affairs, Revista Brasileira de Política Internacionaland Dados – Revista de Ciências Sociais.
Bruno Theodoro Luciano
Bruno Theodoro Luciano is Teaching Fellow in Public Policy and European Studies, University of Warwick, UK. Doctoral Researcher at the University of Birmingham. His work has been published in Global Society, South African Journal of International Affairs, European Politics and Society, Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional, and Brazilian Political Science Review.