This book considers some important economic issues currently facing the EU and examines its prospects. The chapters examine the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, econometric evidence of productivity convergence among the EU countries, the Growth and Stability Pact, problems of the comparison of measures of GDP between the EU and US, company taxation in the enlarged EU, the effect of an aging population on the public pensions in the EU, the CAP and the European constitution and fiscal federalism.

In this edited collection, Joseph Stiglitz and Martin Guzman present a series of studies on contemporary macroeconomic issues. The book discusses a set of key lessons for macroeconomic theory following the recent global financial crisis and explores unconventional monetary policy in a post-crisis world. This volume is divided into five parts. The introduction includes keynote speeches by the Governors of the Bank of Japan and Central Bank of Jordan. Part one focuses on macroeconomic theory for understanding macroeconomic fluctuations and crises. Part two addresses the issue of the measurement of wealth. Part three discusses macroeconomic policies in times of crises. Finally, part four focuses on central banking and monetary policy.

This book presents peer-reviewed, state-of-the-art conceptual and empirical papers devoted to changes in the international competitive position of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, its countries and businesses. While the unprecedented scale of transformation in the CEE region has provided a distinct research setting for international business and economics scholars for more than two decades, there have also been recent discussions about the extent to which the region continues to have a unique business environment. The region's economies have reached different levels of market development and modern business practice adoption, with some of them now frequently classified as advanced economies. Consequently, the same level of heterogeneity among CEE countries can also be observed at the sector and business level. The contributions in this book highlight possible sources of competitive advantage for CEE countries and firms, in light of recent intensive debates about the danger of the middle-income trap and the potential solutions to it.

This book, originally published in 1996, traces the development of US government policy toward the oil industry during the 1920s and 1930s when the domestic syustem of production control was established. It then charts the deveopment and collapse of oil import controls, and the wild scramble for economic rents generated by Government regulation. It discusses the two oil crises and the 'phantom' Gulf War crisis, and the importance of public opinion in shaping the policy agenda. It also provides an in-depth study of Congressional oil votes from the 1950s to the 1980s and the formation of oil policy, beginning with theories of economic regulation, the role of interest groups in developing the policy agenda and the role of money in politics.

This book contributes to the theoretical and empirical literature on Asian regionalism, with a focus on the innovations needed to reform the current institutional architecture in Asia. After reviewing the key issues and challenges related to the political economy of Asia s economic cooperation and integration, the book discusses various aspects of regionalism from political and economic perspectives. It looks at the rationale for regional collective action and reviews the trend of economic integration with a focus on the implications of the global financial crisis. In addition to reviewing the key issues related to the development of regional institutions for integration, the book analyzes issues such as trade and finance and deals with the implications of regionalism in terms of the introduction of domestic reforms in Asian countries before discussing the possible formation of a region-wide economic community. The eight chapters of the book are based on respective papers initially prepared for the Asian Development Bank Institute Conference 2010."

In the second edition of his Global Political Economy, thoroughly revised, David Reisman reexamines the ideological and material underpinnings of the international order in the light of recent research and developments. Taking belief systems such as liberalism, socialism and nationalism as his way into current controversies and debates, he suggests ways in which the conflicting positions can be reconciled. The book ranges widely, from the role of the superpower hegemon and the international organisations to competing currencies, trade agreements, regional pacts, transnational corporations, intellectual property rights and the less developed countries. Global Political Economy is an impartial, multidisciplinary and comprehensive analysis of the lines of force that are pulling the world together even as they are drawing it apart. Offering an insightful picture of economic unions and international trade, this book will be essential reading for students and scholars of economics and finance, global political economy, international relations, and public policy and politics.

Supranationalism in the New World Order argues that in the post-Cold War distribution of global power and configuration of global players, the European Union is just one among a growing number of regional regimes that are acquiring prominent roles in the process of global governance, to some extent through the operation of differentiated zones of geo-political management. The EU is currently the most advanced and influential example of a regional regime by virtue of having the novel European Community at its core - the EC being uniquely constructed around supranational institutions, decision-making and laws. But the EC's uniqueness is unlikely to last. The evident competitive advantages of supranational regional regimes, in conjunction with the realism generally adopted by the various global players, is conducive to the consolidation and proliferation of SRRs in a manner consistent with the neo-functionalist perspective on the progress of the EU. Other prospective SRRs include the Association of South-East Asian Nations, the East Asian Economic Caucus, the South Asian Society for Regional Cooperation, the North American Free Trade Area, and the Andean Community. It is argued that the emerging character of the global system will increasingly depend on SRRs, the relationships among such organisations, and accordingly the doctrine of supranationalism. The book offers a distinctive way of representing and interpreting the global system, global processes and global developments with the help of a set of freshly articulated concepts. The result is a novel, but highly contentious, treatise.

The United States has long dominated economic as well as political affairs in the Caribbean. Recently, however, the relations between the US and the Caribbean nations have been changing. In the early 1980s, the United States unilaterally announced the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which was a set of tariff concessions to the region designed to improve the overall economic situation. More recently, the Association of Caribbean States was created to bring together the islands and countries on the Caribbean rim in an attempt to reposition the region in light of the development of powerful trading blocs in the western hemisphere and Europe. This volume brings together essays that explore the historical, political, and economic dimensions of US-Caribbean relations. As such, it will be of considerable use to scholars and researchers of the Caribbean, economic development, and international relations.

This volume brings together essays that explore the historical, political, and economic dimensions of US-Caribbean relations. As such, it will be of considerable use to scholars and researchers of the Caribbean, economic development, and international relations.

This book brings fresh perspectives into the debate on aid effectiveness and aid relationships. Asia provides a varied picture with its combination of rapidly developing countries where aid plays a less central role such as China, Vietnam, and Thailand as well as more aid dependent countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Mongolia.

The post-Cold War period has seen the emergence of the Black Sea as a region of key strategic importance. As a conduit point for energy pipelines, the sea and its surrounding states are inextricably linked with the exploitation of energy resources in the Caspian Sea and beyond. The heightened risk of ethnic conflict, territorial disputes and instability has been matched by opportunities for regional co-operation on pressing economic and ecological matters. In 1992 the Black Sea Economic Co-operation Project (BSCP) was instigated by Turkey to further interregional agreements on issues such as environmental pollution, and the exploitation and transportation of oil and energy resources in the region. The BSCP consists of the member states of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. Simultaneously with this development, international companies have begun to move into the area, seeking access to the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and the Central Asian republics. What are the prospects for the Black Sea? This text assesses the dynamics of interregional relations, and attempts to weigh up the risks and opportunities of the post-Cold War era.

In the face of globalization, workers feel less secure in their jobs and fear wage losses and unemployment. This book explores these issues, asking whether the concerns are warranted.It brings together recent work in an important and rapidly expanding area. It provides comprehensive coverage of both theoretical and empirical aspects. It takes popular concerns about globalization seriously.Although economists have long pointed to the aggregate gains from increased economic integration, the popular perception of globalization is much more pessimistic.

'Baum's book provides a wealth of heretofore unavailable information on marketing in the strawberry industry. It contains invaluable insights by an insider gleaned from many years of experience. It is required reading for anyone with an interest in the industry. -Dr. George Tolley, professor emeritus, University of Chicago 'Quest. is an important resource for anybody involved in production and marketing of strawberries. It] provides a needed analysis of commodity board marketing plans, but it also chronicles much history of California agriculture by recording the development of the strawberry industry from a localized, fragmented small farm economy into a corporate age production system. -Tom Am Rhein, strawberry grower and Vice President of Operations, Naturipe Berry Growers 'The history of the California strawberry industry, captured by Herb Baum, must be studied to appreciate the economic dilemma of California farmers and the seemingly inadequate support of commodity boards and university research programs. Ten years from now, as a new generation becomes farmers and industry leaders, Quest will be even more important.

The banking industry extensively lobbied against Basel III and governments have been keen to delay its full implementation. Chorafas' latest book takes a well-rounded approach on Basel III's strengths and weaknesses and explains how, without deep restructuring of the global banking industry, (like Basel II) Basel III will fail.

In every system aimed at trade liberalisation, it is necessary to balance this goal with the protection of (other) values. Not only does this have economic implications, but it also strikes at the heart of regulatory autonomy, sovereignty, division of power between levels and branches of government and constitutionalism. The optimal balance necessarily depends on the system's aims, structure, membership and level of homogeneity. This book explores this broad idea in the specific context of the EU and WTO rules on non-pecuniary restrictions on the free movement of goods and seeks to establish how to optimally interpret them. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the EU internal market rules have strong external effects which can be felt within the WTO.

The world economy is caught in a money trap. Existing monetary arrangements meet the needs neither of the ageing societies of the West nor of younger emerging economies. This in-depth analysis explains how the world got into the grip of global finance - and how it can escape, with a growing demand for reform.

With the stagnation of the Doha Round of multilateral talks, trade liberalisation is increasingly undertaken through free trade agreements. Gabriel Siles-Brugge examines the EU's decision following the 2006 'Global Europe' strategy to negotiate such agreements with emerging economies. Eschewing the purely materialist explanations prominent in the field, he develops a novel constructivist argument to highlight the role of language and ideas in shaping EU trade policy. Drawing on extensive interviews and documentary analysis, Siles-Brugge shows how EU trade policymakers have privileged the interests of exporters to the detriment of import-competing groups, creating an ideational imperative for market-opening. Even during the on-going economic crisis the overriding mantra has been that the EU's future well-being depends on its ability to compete in global markets. The increasingly neoliberal orientation of EU trade policy has also had important consequences for its economic diplomacy with the developing economies of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states.

Providing a coherent and current account of how the U.S. manages to 'pivot to Asia' amid a rising China, this book provides an insightful glimpse into China-US relations, and the complexities of the two nations' economic and defense issues as China asserts is financial and military might in Asia and beyond.

The history of Italian colonial affairs has recently attracted renewed interest from historians and economists. It is a complex and involved question. Over the last few years, though perhaps slightly later than the more mature historiography of other European countries, the work of some important scholars has opened up new fields of investigation and research. Recent studies have tried to analyse in greater depth the working mechanisms of the colonial system, broadening the field of investigation also to the perspective of African countries and the political-economic equilibriums of the second half of the 20th century. This study fits into this area of research and analyses crucial aspects of the decolonisation of Somalia, the history of the presence of Italian banking in Somaliland; relations between Italian and Somali institutions; Italian political-monetary policies during the reconstruction and the first economic boom.

This volume addresses different issues related to green innovation procurement as well as exploring the challenges involved in public procurement. It offers a broad array of perspectives, addressing both general, abstract problems of optimal public procurement and concrete cases of national or even local public procurement systems.

Gathering contributions from leading academics and international trade experts from South Asia, this book is dedicated to the late Dr. Saman Kelegma, whose untimely death in June 2017 left a huge void in the field of regional economic cooperation. Keeping in mind his enduring legacy regarding regional cooperation in South Asia, it covers issues related to the challenges of deeper regional integration in South Asia and proposes strategies to address these challenges. It also offers an up-to-date, rigorous academic analysis of various issues related to low intra-regional trade in South Asia; prevalence of tariff barriers; incidence of a range of non-tariff measures; challenges of weak-trade-related infrastructure and the need for trade facilitation; the political economics of regional integration, highlighting how bilateral political relations affect the integration process; low level of intra-regional investment; South Asia's pattern of integration with the global and regional value chains; pattern and dominance of informal trade; and alternative regional integration initiatives in South Asia, such as the bilateral, regional, and sub-regional trade agreements within and countries outside this region. Intended primarily for researchers and students of international trade, and policymakers from South Asia and beyond, the book is also a valuable supplementary reference resource for researchers and students. Furthermore, the pragmatic analysis of the policy options presented offers guidance for policymakers in South Asia wanting to implement effective policies and strategies for deeper regional integration.

"The first detailed historical account of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations, this book covers the genesis of the project in the early 1990s to its demise in late 2003. It examines how the FTAA, an Inter-American policy idea, was incompatible with the predominant ideas and beliefs of Brazilian and American decision makers as to how they could and should conduct their countries' foreign trade policy in the Western Hemisphere. Its multidisciplinary nature and the incorporation of a case study of foreign policymaking in an emerging economy make it attractive to scholars and students of Political Sciences and International Relations, and to all those interested in the power dynamics in asymmetrical relations"--

This new book brings together contributions from recognized experts in trade policy, discussing and evaluating economic integration in the Western Hemisphere, the alternative trade strategies being pursued in this area and Latin American relationships with United States and Canada.

These essays provide progress reports concerning the different regional and sub-regional groupings that have developed within the hemisphere and discuss the inter-relationships of Western Hemispheric trading arrangement with the multilateral trading systems. The difficulties encountered in hemispheric trade negotiations and the implications for the countries involved are also considered.

This book will be of great interest to students and researchers engaged with international trade and economic policy, as well as policy specialists in business organizations and government.

This book examines the evolution of trade and trade patterns in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) and assesses the implications of these patterns on structural change and economic development within transition economies. Taking the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 as a starting point, the authors discuss the transition of former communist CEE countries from centrally planned to market-driven economies, arguing that trade was the primary engine for the economic growth and transition process they experienced. The chapters in this book incorporate the results of previous studies - some of which are based on original research conducted by the authors - dedicated to the integration process of international and European trade. More importantly, the authors look at the broader aspects of structural change and economic development, indeed the whole process of economic transformation. Thus, the book moves well beyond the core 'trade and growth' framework to look at technological progress, foreign investment, institutional development and structural change in Central and Eastern European countries.

This edited volume provides a critical evaluation of financing options for sustainable development in Africa. While sustainability has long been the watchword for development programs, and while many African countries have taken initiatives to develop integrated frameworks that tackle developmental challenges-including poverty, education, and health-financing has remained a challenge. In this book, an expert team of chapter authors examines new financing options while also exploring how traditional financing means, such as foreign aid and foreign direct investment, can be more effective for sustainability. The authors discuss how African nations can build adequate structures and productive capacity to create a platform that can meet present economic, social, and environmental needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Practical case studies and scientific evidence give this book a unique approach that is both qualitative and quantitative. This book will be of interest to students, practitioners, and scholars of development studies, public policy and African economics.