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Strategic Regionalism and Regional Social Policy in the FTAA Process

University of the Andes, Venezuela, bricenoj{at}ula.ve

This article analyses the US proposal to establish a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and argues that two approaches to the FTAA exist, as evidenced during the negotiating process. The first approach is strategic regionalism. Promoted by an alliance of the US and Multinational Enterprises, the objective is to promote regional economic integration based on a radical liberalization of markets accompanied by limited regulation of certain `trade related issues', notably intellectual property, government procurement and investment. The second approach proposes a gradual liberalization of markets, common industrial development and a regional social policy. Advocates of this approach include governments, regional groupings, some business groups and civil society organizations. This article explores the ways in which these Latin American actors have confronted the `strategic regionalism' approach and argues that their strategies of opposition and contestation are a major cause of current collapse in the FTAA negotiation process.

Key Words: civil society • FTAA • multinational enterprises • nation-state • social policy • strategic regionalism

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Global Social Policy, Vol. 7, No. 3, 294-315 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1468018107082236


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Briceño Ruiz, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?