The Bretton Woods Gatt System

A collection by founders and early leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), presenting the current thinking on the past, present and future of the postwar system of international finance and trade.

"The multilateral trading system based on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is being eroded by a shift to bilateralism, surging protectionism, and flouting of its rules by the major trading countries. The inclusion of the complex issues of services, intellectual property, and investment in the Uruguay Round has only increased the strain on the GATT's structure. Reform and strengthening of the GATT system can no longer be delayed. Jackson argues that part of the problem lies in the defective constitutional nature of the GATT itself. He examines the institutional and constitutional changes the GATT would need in order to contain protectionist pressure and respond to the new issues in the evolving international economy. Jackson outlines the provisions of a new charter that would strengthen the foundations of the system. His proposed reform challenges policymakers and practitioners to think beyond the modest objectives of the Uruguay Round"--Unedited summary from book cover.

Peter Coffey and Robert J. Riley, in Reform of the International Institutions, offer positive proposals for change in the sweeping horizon of economic institutions including the WTO. Their book also includes documents that help with research on the topic. Richard Fulton, Choice At no period since the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and World Trade Organisation (WTO) has it been a more opportune time to examine the work, reform and future of the international monetary and trading systems. In this comprehensive examination, the authors provide original, independent assessments of these institutions from both an American and European perspective and offer proposals for reform and improvement. The seemingly endless problems encountered by the IMF, WTO and World Bank provide major reasons for seeking reform. However, an additional impetus is the changing balance of economic power in the world. The volume begins with an overview of the Bretton Woods and international trading systems. Following this are discrete, in-depth discussions of the three institutions from American and European points of view. The authors emphasise the need for making the IMF and World Bank more regional in structure and, like the European Bank, more frugal in the lifestyles of their officials. Similarly, they call for a narrower focus in the mission of the World Bank and the IMF. In the case of the WTO, they call for a democratic reform of the organisation comprising participation by experts and, above all, better representation and support for Third World countries. Scholars and students of political economy, as well as those interested in the history and reform of international institutions, will find this an enlightening and necessary addition to their library.

A collection by founders and early leaders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), presenting the current thinking on the past, present and future of the postwar system of international finance and trade.

In 1944, an international conference was convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to lay out a framework for international economic relations in the postwar world. The institutions that grew out of that conference --the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)--have generally served us well. But today's international economic environment is much different than could have been foreseen in 1944, and the time may be ripe for a broad rethinking of international economic institutions and arrangements. Four fundamental policy questions underlie debates about the future nature and purposes of international economic institutions. First, should concerted efforts be made to stabilize exchange rates among major currencies? Second, has the expansion of private credit and capital markets eliminated the need for official sources of international credit? Third, do the GATT principles of nondiscrimination and multilateralism still provide the best basis for expanding world trade? Fourth, what aspects of economic regulation require international cooperation?

At the close of the Second World War, when industrialized nations faced serious trade and financial imbalances, delegates from forty-four countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in order to reconstruct the international monetary system. In this volume, three generations of scholars and policy makers, some of whom participated in the 1944 conference, consider how the Bretton Woods System contributed to unprecedented economic stability and rapid growth for 25 years and discuss the problems that plagued the system and led to its eventual collapse in 1971. The contributors explore adjustment, liquidity, and transmission under the System; the way it affected developing countries; and the role of the International Monetary Fund in maintaining a stable rate. The authors examine the reasons for the System's success and eventual collapse, compare it to subsequent monetary regimes, such as the European Monetary System, and address the possibility of a new fixed exchange rate for today's world.

Twenty-two entertainment lawyers share their expertise in legal matters affecting musicians using precise, colloquial language that every guitar player should understand. It's an A to Z treatment outlining topics such as preparing for group breakups before you sign the record deal (and hire an attorney), copyright laws, a legal overview of sampling, songwriter agreements, music publishing and licensing, club contracts, and the record label "package." The volume's presentation is stylish and organized for quick reference. This second expanded edition was published in 1986 under the title The Musician's Manual. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR