Complements theoretical analysis with detailed discussions of the empirics of the economics of agglomeration, offering a mix of theoretical and empirical research that gives a fresh perspective on spatial disparities. This book provides an introduction to economic geography and includes history and background of the field of spatial economics.
This text examines regionalism from the perspective of developing countries. It presents a comprehensive account of existing theory and empirical results and incorporates the findings of formal analyses ofthe politics and dynamics of regionalism.
In the late 1980s regional integration emerged as one of the most important developments in world politics. It is not a new phenomenon, however, and this 1999 book presents an analysis of integration across time, and across regions. Walter Mattli examines projects in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, but also in Latin America, North America and Asia since the 1950s. Using the tools of political economy, he considers why some integration schemes have succeeded while many others have failed; what forces drive the process of integration; and under what circumstances outside countries seek to join. Unlike traditional political science approaches, the book stresses the importance of market forces in determining the outcome of integration; but unlike purely economic analyses, it also highlights the impact of institutional factors. The book will provide students of political science, economics, and European studies with a framework for the study of international cooperation.
After two centuries of nation-building, the world has entered an era of region-building in search of political stability, cultural cohesion, and socio-economic development. Nations involved in the regional structures and integration schemes that are emerging in most regions of the world are deepening their ambitions, with Europe’s integration experience often used as an experimental template or theoretical model. Volume I provides a political-analytical framework for recognizing the central role of the European Union not only as a conceptual model but also a normative engine in the global proliferation of regional integration. It also gives a comprehensive treatment of the focus, motives, and objectives of non-European integration efforts. Volume II offers a unique collection of documents that give the best available overview of the legal and political evolution of region-building based on official documents and stated objectives of the relevant regional groupings across all continents. Together, these volumes are important contributions for understanding the evolution of global affairs in an age when power shifts provide new challenges and opportunities for transatlantic partners and the world community.
This title was first published in 2003. After briefly reviewing the basic theoretical stances animating the rest of the proceedings, Laursen (international politics, U. of Southern Denmark) presents 11 contributions that comparatively review processes of regional integration around the world.
This book examines the past, present and prospects of regional economic integration in Africa. The empirical analysis ranges from unions formed during the years following independence, to the proposed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to remove trade barriers between all 55 African states. In addition, the book explores to what extent Africa’s Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have advanced in accordance with a linear integration model of goods, labor and capital markets. The book subsequently evaluates the suitability of the European model of deep integration with costly institutions for the conditions specific to Africa, considering, for example, the role of informal and non-recorded trade. Stylized cases of regional division of labour with increasing returns and imperfect competition are introduced to support the economic integration logic. Past and current economic policies in Africa are scrutinized to answer the question: how can African regions best foster new manufacturing industries and value chains across the continent? In conclusion, the book outlines content and processes of Common Industrial Policy in the African regions. The book also addresses the controversial issue of international trade agreements between developing countries and the European Union or the USA and investigates whether these agreements impede or promote economic development in Africa. The book includes a detailed roadmap describing how to improve key clauses of agreements for economic partnership in the interest of African countries. In closing, it outlines a new vision of joint sustainable development for Africa and Europe.
The European Union might be the most prominent example of regional integration but it is by far not the only one. The importance of regional integration in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and even in the Pacific Islands region is constantly growing. All these regions aspire for more than pure economic cooperation. In addition to intensified economic cooperation, political, legal and cultural aspects are important factors as well that form a Mixtum Compositum of regional integration elements. The present volume discusses these different components of regional integration in theoretical perspective and in a policy-oriented approach. It contributes to comparative regional integration studies through theoretical analysis and case studies from different regions. Elements of Regional Integration presents the main features of regional integration in an interdisciplinary manner. It addresses scholars of political sciences, economics and law as well as students and is suited as accompanying material for courses.
This book presents a theory of economic integration in developing regions, where the level of intraregional economic interdependence is low and the dependence on extra-regional economic relations is high. It argues that the success or failure of regional integration in the Global South is to a large degree dependent on the reaction of extra-regional actors in Europe, North America and Northeast Asia. In doing so, it demonstrates that longstanding European integration theories cannot be successfully applied to other world regions, where economic conditions are fundamentally different. By providing detailed empirical analyses that are systematic in their use of a common theoretical and methodological framework the authors fill a significant lacuna in our understanding of these issues. This edited volume will appeal to students and scholars of comparative regionalism, area studies and global governance.
Hancock argues that there are three governance structures states can use when designing integration accords: plutocratic, supranational and intergovernmental. The first, in which states delegate to a wealthy state, has been largely ignored by scholars yet is both a logical choice and one that several states have chosen over the last 200 years.
This book surveys the prospects for regional monetary integration in various parts of the world. Beginning with a brief review of the theory of optimal currency areas, it goes on to examine the structure and functioning of the European Monetary Union, then turns to the prospects for monetary integration elsewhere in the world - North America, South America, and East Asia. Such cooperation may take the form of full-fledged monetary unions or looser forms of monetary cooperation. The book emphasizes the economic and institutional requirements for successful monetary integration, including the need for a single central bank in the case of a full-fledged monetary union, and the corresponding need for multinational institutions to safeguard its independence and assure its accountability. The book concludes with a chapter on the implications of monetary integration for the United States and the US dollar.
