International economic integration is a topic upon which both academics and policy-makers are focusing a great deal of attention. This has perhaps been most marked in western Europe, given the establishing of the inter nal market and the prospects for an economic and monetary union. In parallel with the movement toward widening and deeping of western European economic integration, we find an increased integration of eastern Europe to world trade and finance as well as regional integration in North America and in East Asia. The book on hand provides a collection of recent research by leading...

Openness and development are key words of central importance in describing the dynamism within the present world economy. Openness denotes the entire process of internationalization and liberalization now underway in the commodity markets, factor markets and financial mar kets. Today there is hardly anational economy or company left which can afIord to ignore international dependencies. In the broadest sense of the word, development encompasses an those dynamic endogenous economic processes which create prosperity and a high standard of living via inno vation and structural change. Modem...