The tension between culture, politics and economy has become one of the dominant anxieties of modern society. On the one hand people endeavor to maintain and develop their distinct cultural identity; on the other there are many forces for greater international integration, driven by free trade and political cooperation. How to understand and explain this fundamental issue is illuminated in this collection of nine essays by scholars from various countries and disciplines.

This book makes an innovative link between classical liberalism and questions of international economic order. The author begins with an outline of classical liberalism as applied to domestic economic order. He then surveys the classical liberal tradition from the Scottish Enlightenment to modern thinkers like Knight, Hayekn and Viner. Finally, he brings together the insights of thinkers in this tradition to provide a synthetic overview of classical liberalism and international economic order.
The author's deployment of classical liberalism strikes a different note to other 'liberal'...

This book explores the current anatomy of regional cooperation and why it has often failed to take hold. It offers an alternative view of politics and international relations in the Middle East. The findings show that co-operation between many of the more open regimes, such as Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Turkey can pave the way to increased stability in the region.
The authors argue that focusing on international and regional factors alone is insufficient in explaining the prevailing instability in the region. Instead they highlight domestic factors as crucial to understanding...

The function of the state as a symbol of identity has become increasingly important as major powers of the pre-Cold War era have given way to self-determination. The conventional role of the state has, however, simultaneously been challenged by the process of globalisation which transcends such national boundaries.
Barbara Emadi-Coffin seeks to explain this contradiction through a radical new theory. There are now 37,000 multinational corporations in the world, many of which are increasingly seen as being among the new centres of political and economic power. Barbara Emadi-Coffin analyses...

Is Japan totally exceptional or is it a typical market economy? Is the poor macroeconomic performance of the 1990s down to archaic institutions or short term monetary and budgetary policies? Is the Japanese manufacturing system based on solid ground or does the bursting of the bubble highlight fundamental structural weaknesses? Should the Japanese authorities preserve the main tenets of their post-World War II economic institutions or should they do more to embrace market led capitalism? The contributions to Japanese Capitalism in Crisis show that there can be a middle ground between these...

The demonstrations that accompanied the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) third ministerial meeting in Seattle in late 1999 offered many people the first glimpse of the organisation. Attention was also drawn to a growing tide of criticism being levelled at the WTO for a perceived lack of environmental and developmental sensitivity, as well as a disregard for the rights of workers. This book contributes to a growing body of literature exploring the significance of the establishment of the WTO, as well as some of the issues brought into sharper focus by the Seattle demonstrations. Located within...

Globalization is dramatically reshaping policy landscapes, thereby creating new opportunities and threats for governments and firms. The resultant restructuring of policy spaces requires an emphasis on the need to cope with globalization, since the distribution of its costs and benefits is asymmetrical across countries, sectors, firms and factors. Unlike previous books, Coping with Globalization concentrates firmly on conceptual issues, in order to consider in detail the coping strategies of both firms and governments.

This rigorous survey and companion volume to Coping with Globalization, focuses on the political, ideological and economic factors lying behind responses to globalization. A panel of international experts examine subjects which include;
* The international monetary system after the Euro
* The response of the Japanese software industry to globalization
* The dynamics of globalization strategy in South Korea
* Australian integration into the global economy
* The impact on China and Russia in their moves toward a market economy

This volume aims to challenge conventional thinking regarding the inevitability of globalization. Rather than seeing globalization as the end station of capitalism, it presents the development of this phenomenon as a disruptive and conflicting process. It considers the capacity of the state as the agent behind the implementation of the neoliberal project and discusses the potential for resistance and alternatives to globalization. International contributors examine the question of globalization from many angles, providing a fresh perspective on this influential movement.

The effects of globalization on economy and society are highly contested subjects in academic and political arenas. This study brings an empirical perspective to the crucially important arguments that encapsulate the major debates in this area. Using quantitative data, this book addresses the shape and degree of internationalisation by focussing on the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and democracy on economic development and the effects of economic internationalisation on democracy.
The author examines democracy's effects on economic growth and considers the claim that foreign...