This up-to-date book takes a fresh look at regulation and risk and argues that the allure of regulation lies in its capacity to reduce risk whilst preserving the benefits of trade, travel and commerce. Regulation appears as a politically attractive, targeted and effective way to ensure that disasters of the past are not repeated. Diverse challenges are tackled through regulatory means - including the industrial, financial and terrorist-related hazards analysed in this book. Fiona Haines' empirical work shows, however, that regulation attempts to reduce risks beyond their stated remit of...

Originally published in 2005. Uniting critical debates on globalization with those on regulation, this book provides an innovative account of the fate of safety regulation in the face of global pressures. The author addresses the key question of whether globalization is making safety standards better or worse. She analyzes the diverse strands of globalization that threaten safety standards and examines the measures that hold potential for beneficial change. Regulatory character, a theoretical model that captures local economic, political and cultural influence developed in the work, sheds...