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Functional Scope 



single purpose 



multipurpose 



planned expansion 



incremental evolution 

 Relation of Region to Component States 



confederation 



treaty consortium 



delegation of limited powers 



consultative 



pooled resources 



trading bloc tariff union 

 Arrangements for Funding 



internal (from revenues of states of the region) 



external — 



donations (bilateral, multilateral) 



loans (private, U.N. lending agency, regional lending agency, bilateral 

 Great Power, bilateral other) 



combined internal and external. 



The United States lias actively supported some forms of interna- 

 tional regionalism, has been sympathetic to others, and has been neu- 

 tral to some. Active opposition was expressed in the late 1930s to the 

 effort by Japan to evolve the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity 

 Sphere." This effort was viewed as a form of imperialism posing a 

 threat to both military and commercial interests of the United States. 

 The Soviet arrangements with Comecon countries do not appear to 

 have elicited any positive U.S. posture. On the other hand, NATO has 

 received vigorous U.S. support as w T ell as initial U.S. sponsorship; 

 the same is true of a number of other regional security treaties. To- 

 ward the Common Market and OECD, the general U.S. posture has 

 been one of acceptance and encouragement ; here the risks of economic 

 competition were judged to be balanced by the gains in Atlantic 

 security. 



Among the possible motivations behind the U.S. posture toward 

 various schemes are : to preserve national power and national security, 

 to reduce tensions among the Great Powers, to alleviate sources of con- 

 flict (which could escalate) in a region of lesser Powers, and generally 

 to raise the living standards in a region of less developed countries. 



It may be useful to contrast the relative advantages and disadvan- 

 tages to the United States of three principal kinds of regionalism 

 representing extreme differences of purpose and organizational form. 



Type One: Mutual security of the nations of a region, with U.S. 

 support. (Example: SEATO). 



Advantages to the United States : 



Demonstrated acceptability to U.S. Congress : 



Explicit program toward a capability desired by the United States ; 



Assured compatibility of military organization and equipment with U.S. 



counterparts ; 

 Opportunity for U.S. military contacts through operational and maintenance 



training ; and 

 Outlet for U.S. weapons and equipment which are becoming obsolescent. 



Disadvantages to the United States : 



Usefulness depends on existence of evident and overt threat to the receiving 



nation ; 

 Tends to increase military costs to receiving nation, requiring either (a) 



further U.S. aid, or (b) transfer of resources from development; 

 Increases substantially the level of U.S. commitments, with some question 



as to whether there is a commensurate increase in U.S. security ; 



