ABSTRACT
As has been argued throughout this book, it seems quite clear that traditional integration theories do not provide an adequate account of current integration in Central America, and of regionalism, in general. They over emphasise the plurality of interests, attitudinal aspects, modernisation imperatives, and structural conditions as variables explaining integration. The overriding infl uence of pluralism and modernisation in industrialised societies led scholars, working within the framework of functional theories, to ignore or neglect the central role of politics and the resilience of the state in international relations.
