Small States In The Global Economy

In response to the largely closed-economy assumptions of most cross-national work on economic policy-making, Open States in the Global Economy offers an outside-in framework for analyzing the way in which national economic sovereignty is affected by globalization. This framework is then applied to a detailed case study of Norway's economic policy in the postwar period. The 'Open State' framework offers a new way to interpret how external changes affect domestic policy-makers and their preferences.

The book contains fifty-four tables covering selected economic, social, demographic and Millennium Development Goal indicators culled from international and national sources and presents information unavailable elsewhere. A detailed parallel commentary on trends in Commonwealth small states, looking at growth, employment, inflation, human development, and economic policy, permits a deeper understanding of developments behind the figures.

The book contains fifty four tables covering selected economic, social, demographic and Millennium Development Goal indicators culled from international and national sources and presents information unavailable elsewhere. A detailed parallel commentary on trends in Commonwealth small states, looking at growth, employment, inflation, human development, and economic policy, permits a deeper understanding of developments behind the figures.

This is an in-depth analysis of the various methods used by small states to overcome their vulnerabilities in the international arena. With its balanced approach and variety of contributions, this book is of interest to researchers and academics who focus on the developing world or multilateral diplomacy.

By the early 1980s the average American had a lower standard of living than the average Norwegian or Dane. Standards of living in the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, and Austria also rivaled those in the United States. How have seven small democracies achieved economic success and what can they teach America? In Small States in World Markets, Peter Katzenstein examines the successes of these economically vulnerable nations of Western Europe, showing that they have managed to stay economically competitive while at the same time preserving their political institutions. Too dependent on world trade to impose protection, and lacking the resources to transform their domestic industries, they have found a third solution. Their rapid and flexible response to market opportunity stems from what Katzenstein calls "democratic corporatism," a mixture of ideological consensus, centralized politics, and complex bargains among politicians, merest groups, and bureaucrats. Democratic corporatism is the solution these nations have developed in response to the economic crises of the 1930s and 1940s, the liberal international economy established after World War II, and the volatile markets of more recent years. Katzenstein maintains that democratic corporatism is an effective way of coping with a rapidly changing world, a more effective way than the United States and several other large industrial countries have yet managed to discover.

In an era of globalization, no country can be an island disconnected from the rest of the world and small states are now integrated in the global economy. The analysis in this book shows that the experiences of small states can be valuable for other countries but at the same time, small states can be vulnerable. This book discusses several issues that are of global importance and analyses how small states are affected, why they can be vulnerable and how their experiences can be beneficial globally, including for larger states. The issues discussed include the 2008 global economic and financial crisis; governance issues and vulnerabilities in small states with small institutions and limited administrative capacity; international development cooperation; and how small states can contribute to the global transition to clean energy. Each chapter is a case study. The first chapter discusses how Iceland and Latvia were affected by the 2008 crisis, how they responded and what the post crisis results are both economically and in terms of human progress. The second chapter talks about governance failure in Iceland that resulted in excessive expansion of its banking system and then the total collapse of its financial system. It also discusses the response of the international community, failures in EU finanical integration, and tensions between Iceland and friendly nations that refused to assist the Icelandic government when it tried to rescue its banking system. The third chapter discusses how the Baltic States, which have transformed themselves from being provinces in the former Soviet Union into modern states, can assist other less advanced transition countries. The chapter argues that the transition experience of the Baltic States can be p