What the Analysis of 136 Studies from 1960 to 2020 Tells Us About Comparative Regionalism Studies

Abstract

In recent years (from the late 1990s to 2020), the number of studies comparing regional integration processes around the world has increased significantly. However, the number of papers aiming to group and analyse these studies in order to determine the main trends in the field is still very limited. We attempt to fill this gap by analysing 136 studies (journal articles, book chapters, institutional reports, working papers, research centre publications and university papers such as dissertations and theses) from 1960 to 2020. In this article, we identify the main terms used in comparative regionalism studies and their evolution. We present the historical development of the field and identify the main organisations that are often compared in these studies. We also present the main points of comparison and the methods used in these studies, and discuss the case of the European integration model in comparative regionalism studies (the n=1 problem). This work creates and analyses one of the largest databases available on comparative regionalism studies. It can therefore facilitate the work of students and researchers interested in comparative regionalism and contribute to the development of this field of research.