ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book grows out of an interest in the impact of large-scale international phenomena on the behavior of state actors. It discusses the general hypothesis that a regional institution would influence the formation of policy preferences by member states, resulting in a convergence effect. The book stretches the limits of the test by choosing a regional institution such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and by choosing a policy domain such as foreign policy. It shows that the Commission as the main regional institution, is an extremely weak structure with mostly secretarial functions. The book introduces the selected cases which represent quite a broad spectrum of foreign policy matters. It includes two case studies dealing with the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the three North American governments' policy preferences as regards transatlantic relations after the signing of NAFTA.
