ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book strives to overcome the stagnant debate between supranational institutionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism by redirecting the focus on new institutionalist explanations. It outlines and explains the various challenges resulting from the dialogue among the three variants of new institutionalism. Firstly, it attempted to view the field of foreign trade policy under the light of new institutionalism. Secondly, the three variants of new institutionalism were combined to create a general framework for analysis. Finally, sociological institutionalism helps illuminate the stability of cognitive patterns and frames which account for interpersonal interaction. The cognitive approaches help in anticipating the likelihood of change in actor's preferences. The task of combining these approaches is impeded by the inability of many scholars to engage into a fruitful debate. The book attempts to build bridges with neighbouring fields, such as international political economy and international trade law.
