ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the evolution of the predominant modes of regional environmental governance in North America. It shows that the three governments conducted their environmental interactions prior to the mid-1990s primarily through the lenses of binationalism, diplomacy, and territorial maintenance, interactions have since become more multi-scalar and network-driven over the past decades. The chapter argues that network interactions in North America have been leavened and shaped by the continued force of formal institutions within and beyond the state. It links these dynamics to the portrayals of those multilevel governance analysts who see policy networks as nested within formal institutions rather than as functioning in alternate, autonomous arenas. The chapter then illustrates how formal institutional constraints, particularly political executive dominance and federal systems, have influenced network potential for contributing to environmental policy coordination and implementation effectiveness.
