About 10 years ago, the first very small steps towards this book were taken. The starting point was marked by the deep and sudden slump of the Swiss economy in the mid-seventies: a crisis wiping out about 10 percentage points of GNP and employment within just two years. To this writer, it was clear from the beginning that neither the exogenous shocks nor the struc tural changes were in fact exogenous or structural. They were given and sha ped by global forces. They were part and parcel of capitalist development. There is no other highly developed country in the world which is so ex tremely and integrally exposed to world-wide currents of financial and economic changes as Switzerland. The degree and dimensions of open ness ofthe Swiss economy led to the formulation of our research approach for studying the internationalization of the economy, a topic theoretically and politically developed in this book. Empirical evidence relates to our study of Swiss experience. A well-known Swiss-American economist offered the following com ment on our previous work on the internationalization of industry: "You are very good in raising interesting questions ..." What was undoubtedly meant as a criticism was received as a compliment. Too much talent and too many research efforts are, in my opinion, wasted by research programs which place technique over substance. This unfortunate development in our profession has already greatly reduced the social utility of economists."

The state and its institutions are crucial for economic development: for better and for worse. This insight informs this important, up-to-date and authoritative survey of new trends in growth economics and the widely divergent economic performance of developing countries - for example, between Latin America and South-east Asia - which seemed to be similarly placed just a generation ago. The decisive role of the political dimension in economic growth seems clear but there are many challenges to be met in getting an analytical handle on the precise determinants and in testing empirically for this. This is the challenge taken up by the international team of contributors.

Why have the economies of some developing countries fallen back while others have advanced? Why have so many stabilization and structural adjustment programs failed to deliver growth dividends? This book shows that there is a common and valid answer: political credibility defined as the predictability of the institutional rules of the game. This case is not only argued theoretically but also found to be confirmed by empirical analysis. Ten case studies pitting Latin American countries against Southeast Asian ones reveal the sources of political credibility. Economic openness is the necessary precondition, long-term reputation or democratic participation the sufficient one. Despite the seemingly superior strength of authoritarian reputation democratic control is the more successful road.

The liberalization of trade and factor movements and the adoption of a common currency proposed for the EEC in 1992 have important implications for the rest of the world. Nineteen experts from academia, different countries and regions and international organizations analyze these implications theoretically and empirically. In general, the authors expect Europe 1992 to generate positive effects on trade and welfare, although concerns are raised over possible, inward looking policies by the Community. For many small and distant countries the effects are shown likely to be insignificant in any case.

The liberalization of trade and factor movements and the adoption of a common currency proposed for the EEC in 1992 have important implications for the rest of the world. Nineteen experts from academia, different countries and regions and international organizations analyze these implications theoretically and empirically. In general, the authors expect Europe 1992 to generate positive effects on trade and welfare, although concerns are raised over possible, inward looking policies by the Community. For many small and distant countries the effects are shown likely to be insignificant in any case.

Die hier abgedruckten Aufsatze aus fast vier Jahrzehnten spiegeln ein Segment des Aufholprozesses im Bereich der Wirtschaftstheorie nach der Dominanz der Historischen Schule und dem Kriege wider, wobei auch die demografischen Aspekte des Entwicklungsprozesses gebuhrend berucksichtigt werden. Es kann nachvollzogen werden, wie sich der Autor als Wissenschaftler fur die jeweils aktuellen wirtschafts- und gesellschaftspolitischen Probleme eingesetzt hat. Die in den 50er und 60er Jahren gefuhrten Diskussionen uber Fragen der Lohnpolitik, Vermogenskonzentration und Einkommensverteilung verband Bombach mit einem personlichen Engagement fur die Forderung der Vermogensbildung, die er zugleich als Waffe gegen die Beschleunigung der Inflation verstand. Uberwiegend wurden jene Publikationen ausgewahlt, die die strittigen Fragen auf dem theoretisch einfachsten Wege zu beantworten versuchen. Einige Arbeiten zeugen vom Einsatz der "Basler Schule" fur bildungspolitische Fragen. Der letzte Komplex ist dem Arbeitsmarkt angesichts der zunehmenden Arbeitslosigkeit nach den Turbulenzen der fruhen 70er Jahre und der Rezession zu Beginn der 80er Jahre gewidmet, wobei vor allem auch dem Zusammenhang zwischen Beschaftigung und Lohnstruktur Rechnung getragen wird.

Preface - List of Contributors - Abbreviations and Acronyms - Acknowledgements - Scientific Programme Committee - Introduction - PART 1 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT; T.S.Khachaturov, C.Pearson, M.Hufschmidt & A.Lukaszewicz - PART 2 THE WORLD FOOD SITUATION AND PROSPECTS; N.Islam, G.E.Schuh, H.Linnemann & A.Vald s - PART 3 ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION; R.Tabbarah, M.Kritz & T.A.Kjurciev - PART 4 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARMS INDUSTRY; C.Schmidt, K.Hartley, H.Wulf, M.O.Intriligator, D.L.Brito, S.Deger & S.Sen - PART 5 CAPITAL NEEDS AND CAPITAL MARKETS; J.B.Donges, H.Hughes, C.Luft & L.Maier - PART 6 FOREIGN INDEBTEDNESS, EXCHANGE RATES AND THE MONETARY SYSTEM; A.Taylor, G.O.Nwanko, M.Panic, M.S.Kumar, A.Ferrer & J.Ahmad - PART 7 INTERNATIONAL FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT; S.Borner, H.W.Mayer, C.F.Diaz-Alejandro & G.K.Helleiner - Index