Why is regional integration more advanced in Europe...

Final paper due tomorrow huh?

Good luck!

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Why is regional integration more advanced in Europe...

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Regional integration is only more "advanced" in Europe due to the fact they are encased by the Muslims world to the south and the Russians to the east, so it only occurs out of necessity. It's that whole democratic peace process theory that your professor is probably looking for on this one.

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Just curious. And while you're here:How would realist and liberal theorists address the role of the UN and other IGOs in addressing international security issues and promoting economic cooperation and development?

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A realist would see the UN of today as a threat to the hegemony or "Leviathan", which was Hobbes' label, because a realist assumes that a hegemonic superpower is required to govern the anarchic states and to establish order in regards to international security and economic development/cooperation. Basically, IGOs and the UN would be a threat to a realist's assertion that "might is right."

A classical liberal would promote the role of the UN's involvement in this scenario due to the fact that liberals believe diplomacy and cooperation are key in the CL's preference for establishing a positive sum game and free trade. In other words, a CL theorist would prefer UN and IGO intervention for the sake of reaching treaties and compromises to advance free trade whilst simultaneously preventing any potential prisoner's dilemma, as opposed to a realist's assumption that the UN/IGOs would threaten the Leviathan's preference for power and hegemonic policing status of anarchic states and non-state actors such as terrorists and organized international crime syndicates, etc.

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Why is regional integration more advanced in Europe...
... than in other parts of the globe? What are some of the successes and limitations of European regional integration?

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Definitions are important here. e.g., The 50 US States maintain an advantage over the EU precisely because of closer integration. We're so accustomed to taking the US as a whole rather than 50 separate states that considerations of the latter are rare.

The EU, if taken as a single entity, is the world's largest economy. Concepts of common currency, ease of international travel within the EU, etc., were designed to move the union to preeminent status in the world, and advance the states individually. Arguably it has better done the latter than the former.

i.e., Though the union has improved efficiencies and has offered benefits, it certainly does not perform as the world's top economy compared to the US. International economic policy (PIGS crisis) vs single currency has potential to rip the EU apart. The German "work-ethic" vs Southern Europe's social ethic remains a smoldering concern.

So to get to the basis of your OP, ask this: instead of "pay its money" to places like Greece, why doesn't Germany remove itself from the EU? Leave those lazy Greeks to wallow in their own mess. To answer, isolate the German advantages of union. Here's a good start ( LINK)

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Without the euro, that is, if Germany had a separate currency, the annual increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) would be about 0.5 percentage points lower. If one adds up the advantages of eurozone membership between 2013 and 2025 in
terms of greater growth, the benefits as far as Germany is concerned amount to almost € 1.2 trillion.

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Thanks for your help guys. It was a long night but I got it done. Both of your responses were enlightening.

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A realist would see the UN of today as a threat to the hegemony or "Leviathan", which was Hobbes' label, because a realist assumes that a hegemonic superpower is required to govern the anarchic states and to establish order in regards to international security and economic development/cooperation. Basically, IGOs and the UN would be a threat to a realist's assertion that "might is right.

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While your take on hegemony and Leviathan is more or less correct, the realist does not view the UN or other IGOs as a threat. The realist views them as inconsequential. Power politics and security interests will always trump any allegiance to the UN as the UN cannot truly overcome the anarchical nature of the Westphalian state system.

Because size does matter in the long run and that has a history that is only the product of the years since WWII. Imperialism/colonialism withered and died since then reducing the populations back to the continent to arrive at its present state. The military forces of those European nation mean that they will never be a return to those relations across the borders of the individual states in a form of aggression towards each other.