International Public Policy and Regionalism at the Turn of the Century

The global economy has undergone some major changes during the last several years. The objective of this book is to examine one particular aspect of the new global economic order, namely international public policy. The power of national governments in determining international public policy is being replaced by the dual extra-national entities of globalism - manifested by the WTO and regionalism - best exemplified by such groupings as the European Union and NAFTA. The reason for the importance of this topic is that government policy makers, like their private sector counterparts and academic researchers, are in uncharted waters. None is as familiar with the evolving system that is purportedly to manage the global economic arena. In the interim, and in the absence of a functioning global economic system, the role of academic researchers in the international public arena should include an examination of the changes which have already taken place as well as those which will be forthcoming in the coming years and decades. The first purpose of this volume is twofold: to provide an examination of international public policy in its current form; and to provide a forum for publication of some of the research findings in ongoing studies of international public policy. The second purpose of this book is to augment the work done in the area of examining the internationalizing process of public policy. It is hoped that it will also lead to an acceleration of the examination process.