The Global Economic System Since 1945

"This book describes how, after the end of World War II, powerful corporations began to lobby governments in an effort to reduce the perceived constraints of regulation. Since the 1970s these voices have become increasingly influential, as governments worldwide have adopted free-market policies, reduced economic regulation and promoted the virtues of free-enterprise capitalism." "The Global Economic System since 1945 presents a fresh synthesis of economic history and theory. For the specialist, it will provide a useful reminder that the economy needs to be looked at from different angles, while the general reader will find a fascinating and impartial description of the current state of the global economy - as well as hints on what to look for when scanning the economic horizon for signs of inclement weather."--BOOK JACKET.

In The International Economy Since 1945, Sidney Pollard describes the most important global developments in economics during the last half century. In this comprehensive history the author covers all geographical regions and considers the effects of the major countries on each other. The International Economy Since 1945 analyses institutional issues, such as monetary policy or the multinational company, as well as worldwide issues. The author considers the impact of policies on economic life and includes discussion of: * the threat to the environment caused by economic change * advances in technology as they relate to growth * fluctuations in standards of living in all parts of the world * policies pursued and how they influence growth * reactions of other nations to the plight of the Third World * the Communist and Far Eastern economies * the impact of World War II on the global economy. The International Economy Since 1945 debates the key issues of current global and national policy-making and the effects of greater economic integration on inflation and employment.

The international economy since 1945 has endured dramatic changes in its balance of power, from the early period of prosperity for industrialised nations, to the 2008/9 global crisis. In this volume Catherine Schenk outlines these huge changes, examines how the world’s economic leaders have tried to organise and influence the international economy and presents the key frameworks in which international economic relations have developed. Focusing on the pattern of international trade, international investment and the changing organisation of the international monetary system, this volume takes a chronological approach of key time-frames, and shows how policy has impacted the balance of the international economy. Major events such as European integration in the 1960’s, the collapse of the international monetary system and oil crisis in the 1970’s the return of China to the international economy in the 1980’s and emerging market crises in the 1990s are discussed within the context of key themes including global economic and regulatory co-ordination, the role of American economic hegemony, the evolution of exchange rate policy and unequal development. International Economic Relations since 1945 is the perfect guide for all students of economic history and international history, and for those seeking to understand recent economic trends in a longer term perspective.

The international economy since 1945 has endured dramatic changes in its balance of power, from the early period of prosperity for industrialised nations, to the 2008/9 global crisis. In this volume Catherine Schenk outlines these huge changes, examines how the world’s economic leaders have tried to organise and influence the international economy and presents the key frameworks in which international economic relations have developed. Focusing on the pattern of international trade, international investment and the changing organisation of the international monetary system, this volume takes a chronological approach of key time-frames, and shows how policy has impacted the balance of the international economy. Major events such as European integration in the 1960’s, the collapse of the international monetary system and oil crisis in the 1970’s the return of China to the international economy in the 1980’s and emerging market crises in the 1990s are discussed within the context of key themes including global economic and regulatory co-ordination, the role of American economic hegemony, the evolution of exchange rate policy and unequal development. International Economic Relations since 1945 is the perfect guide for all students of economic history and international history, and for those seeking to understand recent economic trends in a longer term perspective.

Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? How are wealth and poverty related to changes in nutrition, health, life expectancy, education, population growth and politics? This modern, non-technical 2005 introduction to development studies explores the dynamics of socio-economic development and stagnation in developing countries. Taking a quantitative and comparative approach to contemporary debates within their broader context, Szirmai examines historical, institutional, demographic, sociological, political and cultural factors. Key chapters focus on economic growth, technological change, industrialisation, agricultural development, and consider social dimensions such as population growth, health and education. Each chapter contains comparative statistics on trends from a sample of twenty-nine developing countries. This rich statistical database allows students to strengthen their understanding of comparative development experiences. Assuming no prior knowledge of economics the book is suited for use in inter-disciplinary development studies programmes as well as economics courses, and will also interest practitioners pursuing careers in developing countries.

This book is a brief introduction to economic changes of a truly global dimension..... Since World War II, the world has become a much more homogenous, interrelated, and integrated place. The United States had much to do with changing that world.... A careful examination of this text provides a better understanding of the dynamics of U.S. history. It should help explain what has happened to U.S. businesses and consumers since World War II. Globalization has been the primary force affecting change in American life over the past half-century. This book explores those factors that have been critical catalysts in the rise of the new global economy. It also seeks to provide a definition or characterization of that global economy.... -Pref.

Global Interdependence provides a new account of world history from the end of World War II to the present, an era when transnational communities began to challenge the long domination of the nation-state. In this single-volume survey, leading scholars elucidate the political, economic, cultural, and environmental forces that have shaped the planet in the past sixty years. Offering fresh insight into international politics since 1945, Wilfried Loth examines how miscalculations by both the United States and the Soviet Union brought about a Cold War conflict that was not necessarily inevitable. Thomas Zeiler explains how American free-market principles spurred the creation of an entirely new economic order--a global system in which goods and money flowed across national borders at an unprecedented rate, fueling growth for some nations while also creating inequalities in large parts of the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. From an environmental viewpoint, J. R. McNeill and Peter Engelke contend that humanity has entered a new epoch, the Anthropocene era, in which massive industrialization and population growth have become the most powerful influences upon global ecology. Petra Goedde analyzes how globalization has impacted indigenous cultures and questions the extent to which a generic culture has erased distinctiveness and authenticity. She shows how, paradoxically, the more cultures blended, the more diversified they became as well. Combining these different perspectives, volume editor Akira Iriye presents a model of transnational historiography in which individuals and groups enter history not primarily as citizens of a country but as migrants, tourists, artists, and missionaries--actors who create networks that transcend traditional geopolitical boundaries.

From Greece scrambling to meet Eurozone austerity measures to America’s sluggish job growth, there is every indication that the world has not recovered from the economic implosion of 2008. And for many of us, the details of what led to the recession—and why it has continued—remain murky. Economic historian Larry Allen clears up the subject in The Global Economic Crisis, offering an insightful and nonpartisan chronology of events and their consequences. Illuminating the interlocked economic processes that lay beneath the crisis, he analyzes the changing nature of the global financial system, central bank policies, housing bubbles, deregulation, sovereign debt crises, and more. Allen begins the timeline with the economic crisis in Japan in the late 1990s, asking whether Japan’s experience could be an indicator of the outcome of the recession and what it can teach us about managing a sluggish economy. He then takes a comparative look at the economies of Brazil, China, and India. Throughout, he argues that many elements have contributed to the ongoing crisis, including the introduction of the euro, the growth of new financial instruments such as securitization, collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps, interest rate policies, and the housing boom and subprime mortgage fiasco. Lucid and informative, The Global Economic Crisis provides an impartial explanation to anyone seeking to understand the current state—and future—of the world’s economy.