Economic Adjustment In New Democracies: Lessons From Southern Europe (international Political Economy Series)

The politics of economic adjustment in new democracies has received a lot of attention. However, none of the most recent examinations provide a thorough comparative analysis of Southern Europe. Ethier's book fills this gap. The book challenges many existing preconceptions about Southern Europe, while confirming and complementing the main assertions of comparable studies on Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. The Farm War of the early 1980s caused subsequent disruptions in world markets, conflicts among major governments and disagreements in international organizations. The Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, ostensibly devoted to the new issues of globalization, dragged on from 1986 to 1993 in an attempt to end farm-subsidy battles. Wolfe shows how and why battles over agricultural protectionism were largely resolved through the Round, demonstrating that the global economy is not self-regulating; it needs institutions if it is to be stable. The Green Box, a core provision of The Agreement on Agriculture, shows how states can decide that certain types of policies should be immune from international regulation by the new World Trade Organization, an elegant compromise between the imperatives of responding to global change and maintaining democratic accountability. Wolfe's analysis will be helpful for planners of the next set of farm trade talks, due to begin in 1999, while the annotated text of The Agreement on Agriculture will be especially useful in introducing students to the complexities of trade policy List Of Tables And Figure -- Acknowledgements -- List Of Abbreviations -- Introduction: The Intersection Of Risk And Trade -- Science In The Regulation Of Risk : A Transatlantic Divide? -- Informal Trade Conflict -- Mad Cows And Transatlantic Trade Conflict -- Resolving Differences Over Stinky Cheese And Bothersome Beetles -- Formal Trade Conflict -- The Dispute Over Hormonal Cattle : The Lead Up To Ec-hormones -- Fearing Frankenfoods : Emergence Of Ec-biotech -- Disputing Chlorinated Chickens : The Politics Underpinning Ec-poultry -- Science And The Politics Of Transatlantic Trade Conflict -- Conclusions: Lessons For Trade Conflict -- Moving Forward -- Conclusions -- Notes -- Bibliography. David J. Hornsby, Senior Lecturer In International Relations, University Of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Includes Bibliographical References. The Politics Of Economic Adjustment In New Democracies Has Received A Lot Attention, However, None Of The Most Recent Examinations Provide A Thorough Comparative Analysis Of Southern Europe. This Book Fills This Lacuna.--book Jacket. In The First Section, Ethier Examines The Orientation And Outcome Of Economic Policy In Greece, Spain And Portugal During The Post-authoritarian Period, 1975-95. The Author Concludes That While Economic Adjustment Was Achieved Successfully In Both Spain And Portugal, It Failed In Greece. In The Second Section, The Author Analyses The External, Institutional And Ideological Determinants Of These Unequal Economic Performances.--book Jacket. Diane Ethier ; Translated By Roy Cartlidge. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 165-175) And Index. Internationally the trade union movement is finding itself peripheralized by a series of mutually reinforcing processes - the ongoing world economic crisis; the uneven transition from an industrial to an information and service capitalism; the aggressive policies of neoliberalism; the collapse of communism and radical nationalism; the decline of the social-democratic or labour tradition - and by a globalization that undermines the nation-state to which union hopes have long been pinned. The editors argue that this crisis provides an opportunity for labour to recover or reinvent itself. They see this in terms of a labour response to the waves of energy coming from the new global social movements (women, ecology, human rights/democracy, and so on). Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction: Democracy and Successful Adjustment....Pages 1-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 The Economic Context of Democratic Transitions....Pages 13-18 Spain: An Early and Durable Process of Adjustment....Pages 19-34 Portugal: A Late but Accelerated Process of Adjustment....Pages 35-44 Greece: Timid and Fruitless Attempts at Adjustment....Pages 45-51 Comparative Results of Southern European Economic Policies....Pages 52-61 Front Matter....Pages 63-64 The Governments’ Commitment to Undertaking Reforms....Pages 65-88 The Governments’ Ability to Implement Reforms....Pages 89-109 Conclusion....Pages 110-116 Back Matter....Pages 117-180 Sri Lanka is hailed internationally for its high standards of education despite rather modest levels of economic growth. Much of this achievement has been underpinned by economic revenues generated by the labours of the plantation community whose own achievements in education fell well below the national norm. In recent years, however, educational participation among this community has increased. Why, and how? A day in the life of Vickneswari provides the starting-point for an analysis of educational progress among the Tamil plantation community. The authors examine various aspects of Japanese financial markets. This analysis is interspersed with the relevant institutional/historical background on Japanese financial markets necessary for the non-specialist. Principal chapters include: an institutional overview; a chapter on the comparative costs of capital (both internationally and among Japanese firms); causes and implications of the high degree of financial intermediation in Japan; and an invaluable analysis of the most recent trends in the Japanese/Asian financial markets This book examines the effect of post-Soviet transitions on current problem solving trends with regards to world capitalism. The fall of Soviet communism left liberal capitalism as the dominant blueprint from which to construct economic development policies. Using Central Europe as an example it is shown that the application of the Western liberal-capitalist model has not been without its difficulties. This book endeavours to place the changes to the global political economy, since 1989, in a theoretical and historical context Examines the orientation and outcome of economic policies in Greece, Spain and Portugal during the post-authoritarian period, 1975-95