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Abstract: This paper applies international relations (IR) theories of international institutions to understand the institutions of the inter-American system (IAS). IR includes four major theoretical paradigms: realism, institutionalism, liberalism, and constructivism. These differ primarily along two dimensions: the actors whose behavior is seen as central to political outcomes, and the factors and processes that influence actor behavior and therefore outcomes. Until recently, IR scholars treated these perspectives as mutually exclusive. This approach produced competing images of international governance based on the identification of primary actors. Increasingly, however, scholars have come to view these approaches as valuable complements. This paper suggests how the four strands of IR theory might explain the formation, design and operation of the institutions of the IAS, as described in the other chapters in this volume. In addition, it suggests that IR research could reap substantial benefits from increasing its attention to complex regional regimes like those in the IAS.
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