Evolution of Regional Security Orders, Internal and External Drivers of Change: The Case of the Transatlantic Region

The paper is focused upon regional security orders and regional security change. The concept of regional security orders is used to explain the interplay between regional power dynamics, institutional systems, and regional identity with the aim to trace how different internal and external factors determine evolution of regions. The paper explains whether and how the interplay of regional power structure, institutions and identity, may contribute to better understanding of the evolution of regional security, the emergence of regional security threats (objective and subjective), their perception, the development of regional security agendas and the possibility/ability to address regional change. The empirical part of the paper illustrates the possible application of theoretical insights on security regionalization in transatlantic region. The evolutionary approach of regional security orders traces the recent developments, power dynamics, political and institutional adaptation ongoing at NATO. Firstly, the suggested analysis model illustrates and provides an explanation of how Transatlantic Alliance evolves as a regional security order; secondly, it distinguishes major factors (internal and external) that are determining regional security changes.