Jonathan Chu explores individual economic and legal behaviors, connecting them to adjustments in trade relations with Europe and Asia, the rise in debt litigation in Western Massachusetts, deflation and monetary illiquidity, and the Bank of North America.

Many cities in the Asia-Pacific region serve as financial centres in their respective national jurisdictions or local areas. Noting that most were engaged in efforts to become premier international financial centres (IFCs) in competition with one another, the Korea National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (KOPEC) convened an international conference in Seoul, Korea in October 2007 to examine the prospects for success for seven such financial centres (Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Wellington), weigh the costs and benefits of such competition for local economies as well as the region as a whole, and derive implications for cooperation among the regional governments. The present volume consists of case studies and commentaries presented at the conference as well as the synthesis report, which draws conclusions from those papers and commentaries. One of those conclusions is that, given the power of scale economies as well as the lack of integration of the financial markets in the region, none of the regional financial centres, even Hong Kong, Singapore or Tokyo, considered alone represents a meaningful rival to London or New York, the two existing global financial centres. The synthesis report thus argues for regional cooperation to integrate all those financial centres into an Asia-Pacific IFC network. It further argues that the present global financial crisis presents a major opportunity for regional governments to create such an IFC network that will challenge London and New York in quality as well as quantity of international financial business while helping the latter two overcome the current global crisis. This would open the path towards a stable and resilient Asia-Pacific financial community, with the constituent regional economies no longer vulnerable to the problems of the so-called original sin and double mismatch.

A very welcome addition to the largely scarce literature on the history of Middle Eastern-US relations in the area of economic development. Choice Although the United States' economic relations with the Third World have gone through various phases as political and fiscal conditions have shifted, Dr. Godfried contends that the main policy outlines established in the Middle East in the 1940s have dominated the American approach to Third World development ever since. His careful analysis of the issue traces the U.S. role in the North-South conflict over economic development and shows how U.S. development policy evolved during and after World War II, with particular reference to the Arab Middle East.

This text analyzes US-Japan relations amidst the changing nature of power and international relations. Chapters explore the relative successes and shortcomings of American liberalism and Japanese neomercantilism, the bilateral trade duels over finance, high technology and agriculture, and the costs and benefits of foreign investment and military spending. The book concludes with suggestions for a systemic and radical overhaul of American policies toward itself, the global economy, and Japan. William R. Nester has also written "Japan's Growing Power Over East Asia and the World Economy", "The Foundations of Japanese Power", "Japanese Industrial Targeting", and "Japan and the Third World".

Policy makers in Southern Africa are increasingly convinced that regional trade liberalization can improve growth performance and stimulate development throughout the region. To succeed where previous attempts have failed, however, governments must address two key issues. The first of these is policy coordination - the broad range of domestic policies must be made compatible with the proposed trade reforms. The second is institution building - concerted attention must be devoted to strengthening weak institutions and infrastructure. The contributors are among the leading authorities on regional integration in Africa.

This book shows how the three most important countries in South America have responded to the challenges of globalization since the mid-1960s: the first OPEC price hike, the Third World debt crisis leading to the “lost-decade” for the continent, and, finally, bold but often ill-planned neo-liberal reforms of the 1990s. Latin America will experience another cycle of structural changes in the coming decades, as the reforms of the 1980s and 1990s failed to produce the desired effects of social justice, fair income distribution, sustainable growth, and consolidation of democracy.

The freight container facilitates an extraordinary amount of commercial exchange while undermining sovereign autonomy. By helping to integrate world trade, the container empowers the activities of non-state actors - both licit and illicit. These activities have given rise to new tensions that threaten the very economic globalization that the container helped create.Hoovestal delves into the social, economic and strategic ramifications of the container in Globalization Contained. On the one hand, despite their ideological differences, economies like those of the US and China have a common interest in the globalization that containers make possible. On the other hand, this seemingly simple piece of technology stands between liberalist market 'freedom' and realist sovereign 'security.' Examining the global significance of the freight container, with particular emphasis on the perspectives of the US and China, Globalization Contained considers the implications of the freight container as an agent of change for the future of the global economy and global security.

The Eastern Enlargement of the EU will not be complete until the new member states join the EMU. Economic and political economy arguments point to fast EMU accession of new member states. Failure to do so will create a two speed Europe, a fundamental change in the economic and political architecture of the EU, adding to the strains already evident between core and peripheral countries. Current high level of trade and business cycle integration of new member states with the Eurozone, decreases the probability of asymmetric shocks. Lower transaction costs, elimination of exchange rate risk and the danger of currency crises, further trade and investment creation, lower interest rates and large fiscal gains, should outweigh the loss of the exchange rate as adjustment tool. The Eastern Enlargement of the Eurozone provides comprehensive economic analysis of theoretical, empirical and political issues that will determine whether EMU enlargement is a success, which has implications for all common currency systems.

<I>Ideology and International Economy</I> is the first major study of the intellectual and institutional forces which combined to undermine the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates. In two decades, Milton Friedman's "case for flexible exchange rates" was transformed from a minority academic viewpoint to the operational framework for the international monetary system. In the process, the International Monetary Fund was defeated, sidelined and in danger of becoming an irrelevant organization.

This open access book focuses on public actors with a role in the settlement of investment disputes. Traditional studies on actors in international investment law have tended to concentrate on arbitrators, claimant investors and respondent states. Yet this focus on the "principal" players in investment dispute settlement has allowed a number of other seminal actors to be neglected. This book seeks to redress this imbalance by turning the spotlight on the latter. From the investor's home state to domestic courts, from sub-national governments to international organisations, and from political risk insurance agencies to legal defence teams in national ministries, the book critically reviews these overlooked public actors in international investment law.

The focus of this book is the ongoing Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, which is endeavoring to further liberalize trade in goods and services. Trade theory supports the view that elimination of trade barriers benefits both importing and exporting economies, and therefore is a win-win game for all the one hundred and forty-eight members of the World Trade Organization. A successful Doha Round is sure to have far-reaching ramifications for the global economy.

This volume centres on the issues surrounding the likely economic impact that EU membership has on joining nations, with the main emphasis on new issues and methods. Given the significantly greater level of economic integration that now exists in the EU, accession brings up a host of issues that either did not arise or were of secondary importance during earlier enlargement waves. For instance, EU membership now entails eventual membership in the monetary union. This raises a series of new issues such as interest rate convergence, exchange rate stability and the loss of sovereignty over monetary policy. Additionally, these macro issues interact with micro issues such as export performance, capital formation and foreign direct investment (FDI). Migration, unemployment and foreign direct investment are further issues that acquire a magnified importance for the prospective entrants. All of these questions are treated in the contributions in Economic Impact of EU Membership on Entrants: New Methods and Issues that should be of particular interest to academics as well as decisionmakers in prospective member countries. Richard E. Baldwin worked for the Institute of International Studies. He was a Senior Staff Economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in the Bush Administration (1990-1991) and has advised the European Commission on several integration issues. He has also worked in the past for the European Commission, EFTA, the OECD, the FCO, the World Bank, USAID and UNCTAD. From 1991 to 2001 he was Co-Director of the International Trade Programme of the Centre for Economic Policy Research. His areas of specialisations are international trade, regional integration, andeconomic geography. Before coming to Geneva in May 1991, he was a professor at Columbia University Business School, having done his PhD in economics at MIT, an MSc at LSE, and a first degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Aymo Brunetti is Head of Economic Analysis in the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Switzerland. In addition, he is Professor of Economics at the University of Basel and teaches at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Why do critics and celebrants of globalization concur that international trade and finance represent an inexorable globe-bestriding force with a single logic? The Known Economy shows that both camps rest on the same ideas about how the world is scaled. Two centuries ago romantic and rationalist theorists concurred that the world was divided into discrete nations, moving at different rates toward a "modernity", split between love and money. Though differing over whether this history is tragedy or triumph, they united in projecting an empty "international" space in which a Moloch-like global capitalism could lurk. The Known Economy tracks the colonial development of national accounting and re-examines the ways gender and heteronormativity are built in to economic representation. It re-interprets the post-WWII spread of standardized economic statistics as the project of international organizations looking over the shoulders of national governments, rather than the expanding power of national governments over populations.

This completely revised and updated version of John Williamson's successful textbook, The Open Economy, is divided into six parts. It offers a broad perspective and clarity of exposition that made it a very suitable textbook for undergraduate students of international economics.

The first study in English on the subject, this volume explores the challenges facing Switzerland as the European Community (EC) moves toward the 1992 goal of a Europe without economic borders. The primary question addressed by the author is whether or not Switzerland can ultimately avoid becoming a full-fledged member of the EC. Rene Schwok fully explores the alternatives open to Switzerland, including marginalization and a Third Way between membership and marginalization, comparing the benefits and risks presented by each option. He examines the political and economic implications of full membership within the EC and analyzes Community rules and laws that are particularly relevant to Switzerland. Throughout, Schwok is careful to present a multifaceted approach which reflects both the economic and political issues confronted by Switzerland as the country struggles to reach a policy consensus regarding the EC.

Schwok begins by exposing the source of Switzerland's current problem--the acceleration of the community integration process. He then analyzes the EC's attitude toward Switzerland and evaluates the role played by the European Free Trade Association, paying special attention to efforts to establish a European Economic Space. By comparing the situation of Austria--which has exhibited much more interest in becoming a member of the EC--with that of Switzerland, Schwok sheds new light on Switzerland's reluctance to join. In discussing the effects of the European Internal Market on Switzerland, Schwok reveals the risks of marginalization should Switzerland decide not to join. He goes on to examine the Swiss government's proposed third option, analyzing both its prospects for success and its implications for the Swiss population. Finally, Schwok treats the long-term consequences of this option, asking whether it will allow sufficient proximity to the Internal Market to enable Switzerland to avoid membership or, on the contrary, serve only to pave the way for eventual membership in the EC. Students of international relations and European economics will find Schwok's work a well-reasoned and comprehensive study of Switzerland's choices as Europe approaches 1992.

This book investigates Central America's political economy seen through the lens of its powerful business groups. It provides unique insight into their strategies when confronted with a globalized economy, their impact on development of the isthmus, and how they shape the political and economic institutions governing local varieties of capitalism.

Internationalization of the economy accelerated at the turn of the century. Growing national, regional, and global environmental problems associated with globalization present new challenges for policy-makers and international cooperation. Crucial problems concern air pollution, environmental problems from trade and transportation, and global warming. This book, based on theoretical and empirical analysis, comes up with new and innovative policy options, including proposals related to the Kyoto protocol.

"A clear, well-written, and comprehensive statement of a number of salient issues involving North American free trade--summarized and referenced to more detailed source material for the interested reader."
--Clark W. Reynolds, Stanford University

"A first-rate piece of work . . . Its great value is that it will be used for some time as a reference document by experts who will want to delve more deeply into the specifics of the many technical issues covered."
--Sidney Weintraub, University of Texas, Austin

Negotiations toward a North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) began in June 1991. This book assesses both the substances and the form of a prospective NAFTA. Part One examines the objectives of the United States, Mexico, and Canada in the NAFTA negotiations; the potential shape and contents of the agreement (including dispute-settlement and institutional issues); its possible extension to third countries; and its implications for multilateral trade negotiations and the GATT.

Part Two examines the broad economic implications of a NAFTA for trade, investment, and employment; labor and environmental concerns that arise because of Mexico's lower level of economic development; and the cross-sectional issues of rules of origin and intellectual property.

Part Three analyzes how the energy, auto, steel, textile, agricultural, and financial services sectors of the Mexican economy could be affected by a NAFTA, and the implications for U.S. and Canadian industries. Part Four summarizes the major conclusions and policy recommendations.

German industry in particular is a central focus for studying technical and organizational changes in industry due to its pivotal position in international markets, its technological sophistication and its well-established training systems. Originally published in 1992, this study brings together contributions which contain both theoretical approaches and extensive empirical studies, on the manufacturing industry in Germany, including comparisons to other european countries. It looks at the developments of new technology, identifying trends in rationalization and the influences they have on organizational behaviour. As it discusses the relationships between technology and the work-force it includes discussion on flexible specialization, labour processes, union relations, small and large firms and training processes.

In the era of globalization, the role of multinational corporations (MNCs) is increasing in importance while the influence of nation-states is in a corresponding decline. Jain contends that this trend will benefit the cause of worldwide economic prosperity, which MNCs alone are positioned to deliver. The increasing availability of global capital, coupled with advances in computing and communications technology, has accelerated the process of doing business anywhere and everywhere. At the same time, barriers to foreign entities wishing to conduct business in Russia, China, India, Brazil, and Indonesia are falling away. As the process of globalization marches on, what can be done to ensure that material prosperity is the result? A Global Business Confederation, Jain argues, should be established to design rules that apply worldwide and that encourage MNCs to generate global economic prosperity in a manner responsive to cultural, social, and humanitarian concerns.

This study of Atlantic political relations since World War II uses a comparative perspective to analyse US foreign policy and US European relations in the context of a Western Europe attempting to speak with one voice. This book examines US policy towards European unity and the evolution of a Western European pillar in foreign policy and defense, contrasts US and European approaches toward specific global issues, and considers Atlantic relations in light of the dramatic European upheavals of 1989 and 1990. William Cronwell is the co-author of Political Problems of Atlantic Partnership.

At a time of global economic crisis and disillusionment with capitalism, Adodo offers refreshing and positive insight into a more integral way of business management, enterprise and community development as well as holistic healing in Africa. For over three decades, Africa was the recipient of billions of dollars in aid funds that were meant to catapult the continent from undeveloped to developed status. Yet the more the aid poured in, the poorer African countries became. The devastating effect of western economic models in Africa that followed is well documented. Integral Community Enterprise in Africa exposes the limitations of existing theories, such as capitalism, socialism and communism, and shows how western theories were imposed on Africa. Such imposition of concepts and ideas is not only demeaning but also unsustainable, serving only the interest of the elite. Father Anselm Adodo argues for the need to have a southern theory to serve as an alternative to western theories. The majority of African intellectuals and activists, while criticizing existing theories, often do not provide alternative theories to address the prevalent inadequacies entrenched in conventional social, political and economic systems. This revolutionary book aims to address this lapse and proposes the theory of communitalism as a more indigenous, sustainable and integral approach to tackling the social, political, economic and developmental challenges of today's Africa. There is an African alternative to capitalism, socialism and communism - a surer path to sustainable development in and from Africa. This is a book that is positioned at the very core of a much needed African Renaissance. A profoundly new approach to development in Africa, this is essential reading for anyone concerned with authentic development in Africa and in the world.

This insightful research review discusses some of the most influential papers in the economics field of global value chains. Focusing on globalization, fragmentation and coordination of production across geographical as well as enterprise boundaries. It pays particularly close attention to how businesses in developing countries are incorporated into global production and distribution networks. The review analyses many of the texts that framed the global value chain approach together with in-depth case-studies of particular sectors and policy-oriented research concerned with reducing poverty and accelerating growth in poorer countries. This review would be of great interest to students and researchers working in the fields of globalisation, geography and international business.

The world is seeing a shift in economic power from west to east. Japanese FDI differs from the American example, and this will become crucial. This book tracks trends in Japanese FDI to other Asian countries, suggests future policies, analyzes methodological aspects, and provides an overview of Japanese FDI.

Though considerable research literature is now available on China-India relations, most of it still follows a conventional narrative, viewing the relationship through the narrow conflictual prism limited to South Asia than in the new, larger perspective, especially in the context of emerging East Asian dynamics. This book offers comprehensive analyses of some of these issues in papers addressing two broad themes. One, significant trends in the relationship between China and India on a range of issues, including economic development models, their military strategies, and the boundary dispute; and two, how others are responding to the rise of India and China and their impact on East Asia. Together, the chapters constitute a comprehensive study on both China-India relations and their concurrent rise, including a variety of perspectives and methodologies. Written by some of the top experts on the subject from India, China, Japan, and Taiwan and covering a broad range of issues, the book will generate considerable interest in understanding this relatively neglected dimension of today's East Asia.