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When civilization went beyond the stage of Neolithic villages, when cities and cultural activities developed, external trade played an important role. It was not possible for a city to develop without a network of long distance exchanges. They made non‐domestic activities possible and so favored the development of institutional and political structures. The same is true of the cities of the Ancient world, of the medieval cities (French Historians contended whether trade or urbanization was first; but could they develop without each other?). It is true that the result was not an homogeneous society, but centers with a high level of culture and organization in the midst of a traditional peasantry world.

Geographic patterns of commodity trade and foreign direct investment are not consistent with the proposition that European economies are experiencing a process of increasing 'globalisation'. Internationalisauon is taking place as economic integration within the European Union. During the last 35 years, the European Union has not become relatively more integrated with the world's other trade blocs. Moreover, in contrast to what globalisation theory might cause us to predict, the share in foreign direct investment taken by low-wage countries shows little growth. We try to explain such findings, using arguments about the nature of the process of technological change.

This dossier deals with the impact of economic globalisation on workers, especially in developing nations: their employment opportunities, wage income, job security and other aspects of decent work (ILO 1999, 2002). This is a highly relevant theme. Not only do workers in the EU, the United States and other prosperous parts of the world fear the low wages in Asian and Eastern European economies, but workers in developing and transition countries also fear losing their jobs and incomes as a result of neo-liberal policies increasing the exposure of domestic firms to the competitive strength and power of EU, US or ASEAN based multinationals. The main question for this dossier is therefore whether economic globalisation can work out positively for workers, especially in developing nations.

This article analyzes the effects of economic globalization on public policy in Singapore, which has the worlds most globalized economy. It finds that contrary to the assumption of muck of the literature on the subject, it is the state, rather than systemic imperatives, that has played the most decisive role in shaping the form and scope of the economy's globalization. Its examination of the effects of globalization on policy choices in three broad areas—economic development, national security, and social development—in Singapore shows that globalization has not only constrained policy choices, but expanded them as well. The case study suggests that we need to ascribe greater centrality to the agency of the state in the globalization process and develop a more nuanced conception of the opportunities it affords and the constraints it imposes.

AbstractDespite the steady increase in environmental provisions being included in trade agreements to address potential environmental risks associated with increased trade, growing public concern about environmental issues has given rise to major public protests against various trade agreements. However, facing the widespread backlash against the liberal international economic order, pro-trade leaders have yet to respond adequately to the public's concern over the potential implications of trade on the environment. A review of European Union (EU) officials' public communication on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership shows that trade advocates narrowly focus on the economic benefits of trade in their trade-related communication while paying little attention to the environmental impacts of the trade deal. This ignores an important aspect of the public discontent with economic globalization. This article argues that the pro-trade camp's failure to engage the public in an inclusive and transparent debate about the environmental effects of trade presents a missed opportunity that has triggered widespread resistance to trade liberalization. By studying the communication channel, this essay highlights the important role of information and dialogue as a potential response to the current public backlash against economic globalization.

Examines the decisive role of the state in shaping the process of developing an open economy; focuses on attracting foreign investment and trade. Examines economic development, national security, and social development policies.

The theoretical literature presents conflicting expectations about the effect of globalization on national democratic governance -- whether enhancement, hindrance, or no effect. Progress in explaining this effect requires confronting these theoretical positions with data. We assess empirically the effects of globalization on the level of democracy from 1970 to 1996 for 127 countries in a pooled time-series, cross-sectional statistical model. The effects of four national aspects of globalization on democracy are examined: trade openness, foreign direct investment inflows, portfolio investment inflows, & the spread of democratic ideas across countries. We find that trade openness & portfolio investment inflows negatively affect democracy. The effect of trade openness is constant over time, while the negative effect of portfolio investment strengthens. Foreign direct investment inflows positively affect democracy, but the effect weakens over time. The spread of democratic ideas promotes democracy persistently over time. These patterns are robust across samples, various model specifications, alternative measures of democracy, & several statistical estimators. We conclude with a discussion of policy implications. 7 Tables. Adapted from the source document.