The political economy of the world trading system

Description

This book is a comprehensive and non-technical introduction to the institutional mechanics, economics, and politics of the world trading system as embodied in the WTO. The WTO is the primary organization through which member states will manage their trade relations. It is also the forum in which attempts will be made in the future to expand the coverage of multilateral rules to new policies such as competition (antitrust) law and investment regulations. Understanding the reach and relevance of the organization is therefore important, and requires an interdisciplinary approach. Few countries allow unfettered market forces to determine the pattern and structure of trade and investment. Instead, governments develop policy in response to domestic political forces, taking into account likely reactions by trading partners. In discussing the WTO, the authors take a political economy-based approach that can explain these fundamental aspects of the 'real' world. This in turn helps to explain the successes and failures of international co-operation in trade policy, the primacy of negotiated solutions, and the challenges facing the WTO in the years to come as further efforts are made to extend the reach of multilateral policy disciplines. Extensive references are made to the existing literature, and guides to further reading are provided at the end of each chapter.

Description

"The Political Economy of the World Trading System is a textbook account of the economics, institutional mechanics, and politics of the world trading system. The second edition has been expanded and updated to cover the period since the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995, presenting the essentials of multilateral trade negotiations and the prevailing WTO rules and disciplines."--Jacket.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The political economy of the world trading system: from GATT to WTOOxford University Press1995-01-01
• The political economy of the world trading systemOxford University Press2001
• The Political Economy of the World Trading SystemOxford University Press, USA1996-02-22
• The Political Economy of the World Trading SystemOxford University Press, USA1996-02-22
• Political Economy of the World Trading SystemOxford University Press, Incorporated2009-01-01