: 
The 1990s witnessed a very significant expansion of regional institutions and important changes in the ambition, scope and density of regional governance in the Americas. In terms of aspiration and ambition, but also in many cases actual achievement, these changes have gone further than in any other region of the world apart from Europe. But -- and this is the crucial point -- in sharp contrast to the European case, they have taken place against the backdrop of striking power asymmetry. The continuity of unequal power within the region means that it is unlikely to account very well for the variability of institutionalization. But the Western Hemisphere does represent a fascinating vantage point from which to explore the relationship between hegemonic power and regional institutions and the complex ways in which logics of regional governance interact with the logics of hegemonic power. Using the case the Americas the paper draws together the principal ways in which power and power-related interests shape the attitudes and policies of both weak and strong states towards regional institutions. The paper contributes both to the general literature on power and regional institutions and to the literature on regionalism in the Americas.
