But some observers think that the overall voting pattern indicates a weakening of regionalism.
The point is that regionalism is not necessarily either good or bad for free trade.
ECONOMIST: Do regional trade agreements encourage free trade?
The new system, Kim thinks, will help overcome the regionalism that plagues Korean politics.
The second concern, perhaps even more important, is that regionalism will impede efforts to liberalise trade worldwide.
ECONOMIST: Do regional trade agreements encourage free trade?
Regionalism in Spain is an expression of discontent, much as support for populists is elsewhere in Europe.
But with many voters jaded, the defining factor in these elections could well be that old scourge: regionalism.
Second, the basis of Asian regionalism has been non-interference in each other's affairs.
The loyalty of Umberto Bossi's movement, which combines regionalism with populism and Islamophobia, is vital to the government's survival.
But for Bangkok, there is more at stake than regionalism in courting SLORC.
The GNP's sweep of the southeast led President Kim to bemoan the hold regionalism continues to exert on Korean politics.
It is possible that the move towards regionalism creates an impetus towards liberalisation in countries that are excluded from a regional trade agreement.
ECONOMIST: Do regional trade agreements encourage free trade?
The new regionalism isn't a return to an area's most familiar architecture: It doesn't mean building Colonials in Connecticut or ranch houses in California.
Even if trade diversion is substantial, however, it is not clear that regionalism stands in the way of broader efforts to reduce trade barriers.
ECONOMIST: Do regional trade agreements encourage free trade?
But the fiscal benefits of regionalism are not always apparent.
Most impressively, deft diplomacy has made ASEAN central to pan-Asian regionalism.
Soon after arriving here, when I remained oblivious to the regionalism of Aussie sport, I was astounded by the story of a rugby union fan overnighting in Melbourne.
With the majority of South Koreans opposed to the president's removal, however, some analysts are suggesting that the impeachment issue could ease the deep-rooted regionalism that has dogged the country for decades.
WTO-brokered regionalism would thus lower trade barriers for all.
Acknowledging its role in the history wars, Alexis Dudden of the University of Connecticut argues, might persuade all the protagonists that America really wants to foster a greater sense of Asian regionalism.
Nevertheless, the Scottish and Welsh examples also suggest that when local elites and chattering classes get enthused about regionalism as they clearly are in the North-West they refuse to drop the idea and eventually get their way.
ECONOMIST: Why the North-West is getting keener on a regional assembly
No sense of regionalism for them.
ECONOMIST: Regional economic integration has a long, long way to go
Clearly, there are a wealth of political issues at play here assertive unions, flamboyant Tea Partiers, cross-cutting state and city legislators. (The Republican Governor will outline his vision for the referendum this morning.) But a real challenge for the transit plan, one that spans 10 counties, is its very intentional regionalism.
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