Regional governance: The evolution of a new institutional form

The paper argues that a new species of political institution has quickly spread across the globe to deal with regional governance. This new institutional form has similarities with the "state," "international institution," and "IGO" but also significant differences. The paper identifies the characteristics that constitute the population of regional governance institutions. The paper then identifies six core morphological characteristics that vary over time and space within this population. We then track empirically the changing nature of this population from 1980 to 2005. For example, by 2005 almost all countries of the world are members of at least one regional governance institution. Next we survey the very wide scope of economic and security issues covered in these institutions and how that has evolved over time. Finally, we show that almost all important single-issue security (military alliances), free trade agreements, along with new international courts are in fact all embedded in regional governance institutions. The paper concludes with some speculations about the causes of the rapid development in regional governance over the last 30 years.