Regionalism in Developing Countries - Assignment Example

Within the framework of a particular country, regionalism may be understood as the allegiance to a specific region of a country with the attendant desire to have it become much more independent politically. Regionalism can be described as an ideology that accentuates the interests of a particular region. It is believed by proponents of regionalism that regionalism raises the competitiveness of regions, promotes a more rational way of implementing local plans, and allocates the resources of a region to the local populations. Regionalism focuses on increasing the political power or influence of a particular region through decentralization, autonomy, states' rights, and devolution. Further, other definitions have been proffered for regionalism.

It has for instance also been illustrated as that ever-changing process that involves a country’s willingness to share or come together into one whole. The level of integration for various regions is to be determined by the degree to which the countries under consideration share as well as what they share. Dr. Soomer also defines regionalism as the outcome which occurs when pre-set criteria are met by the countries within a particular region. Regionalism has been held as putting in place a process that integrates the national social, economic, and political terms of various countries in a region.

The process is being utilized by several and indeed developed countries alike, to put in place inter-state security through the putting in place of cross-border activities relating to economic exchanges between the countries of the region. National territories do act as very important sites for successful regionalism. National territories can be considered legally defined areas that are under the authority of a particular state. Generally, national territories help to promote regionalism by physically and legally demarcating the autonomy of a particular region.

National territories are conceptualized through statehood; the physical expression of which is the political concept of states. A state refers to a country considered a political organization.