Regional integration has emerged as one of the most important developments in recent world politics. In this book Walter Mattli examines integration schemes in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, but also in Latin America, North America and Asia since the 1950s. The book stresses the importance of market forces in determining the outcome of integration, but also highlights the impact of institutional factors. The book will provide students of political science, economics, and European studies with a new framework for the study of international cooperation.