International Political Economy - Conflict and Cooperation in the Global System

Author: Frederick Pierson
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The increasing integration and expansion of the world market have brought about interdependence and globalization, providing more opportunities for international cooperation while also increasing the potential for conflict. Interest groups, national decision-makers, and academia have varying opinions on this phenomenon of globalization. For some, it brings unprecedented prosperity and peace; for others, it becomes a driving force of capitalist exploitation and causes a series of problems, such as a severe economic crisis in one region dragging down another. Whether these developments are sufficient to address issues like financial and stock market volatility, debt crises, regional poverty, rising trade disputes, and protectionism remains to be seen. Clearly, these problems offer scholars rich research topics and provide us with fresh perspectives to examine global economic issues that directly or indirectly affect the lives of millions worldwide, such as multinational corporations, development policies, inequality and dependency, and the informal economy. This is a classic textbook in international political economy, introducing the evolution and key characteristics of the modern international economic system, as well as current contentious issues. It aims to combine the fundamental theories of international political economy with the current socio-political realities and the vision of the new century, seeking their interconnectedness.