This expert analysis looks at what the increasing economic and political prominence of China and other Asian nations means to the West and the rest of the world. Asia's Rise in the 21st Century is a wake-up call to the West, offering a sophisticated assessment of a group of nations that are becoming essential markets for U.S. trade, industry, and finance, even as they increasingly represent fierce competition for global markets. The work traces changes that launched the region down the path to potential economic and political ascendancy, and it looks at various factors, from politics to economics to demographics that affect Asia now and will continue to do so in the future. China's prominence is explored in the context of how it complements and competes with the rest of Asia, especially Japan and India, and how it interacts with other major emerging-market countries, such as Brazil, Russia, and Turkey. The book also looks at the challenge China's ascendancy poses to the assertion that a successful capitalist system must be accompanied by political democracy. Finally, the authors suggest ways in which Asia's rise can be accommodated in the West and elsewhere and offer thoughts on where Asia, and especially China, will be in 2030.

This book investigates the role of governmental and non-governmental actors in energy-environment decision making. An examination of the trade-offs between various energy options which are currently before policymakers in both Canada and the United States focuses on the environmental and economic consequences of public and private choices which face leaders in both countries as well. Whether the existing regulatory environment will prove feasible and/or desirable under the new Canada United States Free Trade Agreement is also discussed.

Some of the questions the authors explore include: How do we assign costs and benefits to alternative energy strategies without underestimating the importance of environmental factors? What types of regulatory regimes should both countries strive for in order to foster a good balance between environmental protection and economic growth? What kinds of political processes should be instituted to allow for more effective energy/environmental policy choices in both countries? This book will be of interest to students and scholars concerned with the environment and interested in Canada-United States relations.

Written from the balanced perspective of a Canadian scholar living and working in the United States, this book presents the first scholarly investigation of Canadian policy interests in Central America. Jonathan Lemco examines Canada's sizable interest in Central America and helps fill a gap in the literature on Canada's foreign policy. The book offers a rare look at not only Canada's Central American policy goals but how these goals relate to Canadian-U.S. relations and Latin American politics. Lemco concludes that the Canadian government does want to help encourage the peace process, reduce economic inequality, and promote social justice in Central America. He points out that Canada's Central American policy, particularly its modest support for Nicaragua, allows it to retain a measure of independence from the United States. Historically, Canada's Central American policy is in some ways substantially different from U.S. policy in the region.

The book begins with a look at Canada's transition from a country that until recently had little interest in Central America to its present position as a supplier of economic aid to the region. Lemco investigates Canada's relationship with the Organization of American States as well as Canadian commercial ties with Central America. The final chapters discuss Canada's developmental aid and the search for Central American peace. Students of Canadian foreign policy or Latin American studies, as well as the lay reader interested in Canada's relationship with Central America, will find Canada and the Crisis in Central America a valuable resource.

A provocative and timely look at the current state of global economics, particularly how the state-owned companies of Russia, China, Latin America, and other emerging markets are influencing how people work, how they consume, and how they prosper. The global economy is changing: experts are noting slow growth in the advanced economies, greater volatility in international markets, and the emergence of state-owned companies in the competitive marketplace. This forward-looking reference explores the role that state capitalism plays within the political structures of countries throughout the world. The text begins with an introduction to state capitalism, moves into an in-depth examination of several countries and regions, and concludes with a discussion on the future of state capitalism in the next decade. Coauthors Scott B. MacDonald and Jonathan Lemco examine the challenges that state-owned companies face in the global economy, including a weak legal and commercial infrastructure, a conflict of interest between politics and business, and massive corruption in local and regional governments. A close review of the perils of state capitalism based on meritocracy devolving into crony capitalism invites debate on the longevity of this economic system versus a free market economy. Considers the factors that will impede future economic growth in China, Russia, Argentina, and Venezuela Defines the role of the state in the economy and the accompanying political system Features chapters on the economic outlook of Egypt, the Middle East, Eurasia, and Latin America Discusses the future of capitalism in the 21st century Includes a look at alternative economic scenarios in the year 2025

The United States and Canada share an atmospheric environment and an energy market. The important concerns stemming from this continental perspective are the focus of this volume, which investigates specific bilateral energy-environment issues and the Canada-United States relationship. One topic explored is the extent to which cooperation is possible between Canada and the United States in environmental and energy policymaking in each of the key energy sectors. The book also studies such topics as how decisionmakers in Canada and the United States choose between competing policy options and what mechanisms they employ to coordinate policies. Other chapters investigate strategies for curbing acid rain, siting hazardous waste, and dealing with the negative by-products of energy development.

The ecological dangers that face our continent and the world ultimately demand comprehensive policy and behavior changes of national, continental, and global scope by governments, businesses, and private citizens. The articles in this volume approach this theme of binational energy and environment issues from a variety of perspectives. Some offer policy suggestions to government and business, while others concentrate on the more technical aspects of alternative behavior patterns.

Lemco investigates those political, economic, and social conditions that theorists of federalism have associated with the stability or instability of federations. For many years, there have been pervasive arguments that federalism provides the best government possible for a nation of considerable ethnic and regional disparity. Students of federations have suggested that a centralized federal government that protects the national interest, and governments of the constituent units that protect local and regional interests, are the most responsive administrative forms for a society of great diversity.

Following a review of the theoretical literature concerning federalism and political stability, data pertaining to political, social, and economic conditions that are reputed to be related to federal political stability are collected and tested. These conditions include the structure of politics, the impact of political freedom, the importance of the party system, and the relevance of ethnically and territorially based cleavages. The associations among economic modernization, social mobilization, relative deprivation, and federal political stability are also investigated. The author concludes with a discussion of the most significant independent variables, the prospects for future research, and a focus on the extent to which federal and unitary structures can protect minority rights effectively. Lemco's provocative study will be of considerable interest to political theoreticians as well as to students of contemporary nationalist movements.