A guide to the experiences of economic reform since the second World War, and system reform and economic integration across the world in the past decade. The first part of the book examines why only a small number of developing countries have succeeded in their modernization attempts this century. What lessons can be learnt from the successes of the East Asian NIEs and failures of other economies to emulate them? The very different experiences of the transition to market economies in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and China is the focus of the next section, with comparisons drawn with the Latin American reform experience, especially in Chile. The effects of economic integration schemes are examined in the final sector, with case-studies of Tunisia and Morocco's Free Trade Agreements with the EU, and of economic integration and the Arab-Israeli peace process.

An overview of many currently topical issues around food and agriculture, with particular emphasis on their implications for development. These include Nobel Laureate Robert Fogel's discussion of nutritional standards and the implications of new theories of evolution in assessing the extent of malnutrition. Historical analysis informs contemporary surveys, including Yair Mundlak's comparison of the postwar record of 130 countries in agricultural technology and outputs. The important implications of labour markets, income distributions and the impact of welfare states on these issues are considered by a number of papers. The contributors include many leading academics from North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Israel.

A comprehensive overview of current research in the field of trade, payments and debt. Grossman and Helpman provide a non-technical review of the literature on technological deteminants of trade. Thisse and Fujita discuss current work on the spatial configuration of economic activities. Robert Findlay tracks world trade from 1000 to 1750, while Robert Baldwin surveys the impact of international trading alliances. In his Presidential paper, the World Bank Vice-President Michael Bruno looks at the pattern of debt crises and economic recovery. The sustainability of external debt in Africa is examined by Daniel Cohen. Alberto Giovannini's argues the case for flexible exchange rates.

A guide to the experiences economic reform since the second world war, and system reform and economic integration across the world in the past decade. The first part of the book examines why only a small number of developing countries have succeeded in their modernization attempts this century. What lessons can be learnt from the successes of the East Asian NIEs and failures of other economies to emulate them? The very different experiences of the transition to market economies in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and China is the focus of the next section, with comparisons drawn with the Latin American reform experience, especially in Chile. The effects of economic integration schemes are examined in the final sector, with case-studies of Tunisia and Morocco's Free Trade Agreements with the EU, and of economic integration and the Arab-Israeli peace process.

This volume contains chapters on a range of topics which include economic methodology in macroeconomics, central bank independence, policy signalling, public policy as second best analysis, the determinants of economic growth, a continuum approach to unemployment policy, and pensions. The volume dispels the notion that these are largely unrelated issues and illustrates the merger process which is taking place between hitherto rather separate economic sub-disciplines. They move the focus of attention and challenge received wisdom.

Important lessons for policy makers are provided here as contributors evaluate the effectiveness of domestic economic policies and the recommendations of international organizations such as the World Bank regarding the economic development of developing countries. Challenges posed by debt problems, corruption, population dynamics, poverty, and the absence of adequate human and physical capital are highlighted. Contributors cast doubts on the conclusions of the prevailing theories of economic development with patterns of economic change over the course of the 20th century. Their findings point out the issue of inadequate social capability as a critical factor in understanding the lack of economic development in many developing countries. They suggest that contemporary theorizing tends to pinpoint necessary but insufficient conditions for the successful implementation of development strategies in these countries.

This book makes general considerations regarding global changes and contemporary economic issues in Asian countries in real terms. It offers a collection of original conference papers from the annual international conferences on “Contemporary economic issues in Asian countries” (CEIAC Conference) commenced in 2022 in collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea), and Tamkang University (Taiwan). The theme of the CEIAC Conference 2022 deals with broad aspects of the contemporary economic issues in Asian countries. It covers topics such as economics and business (economic theory, national and international income distribution, macroeconomic policies, sectors of economy, productivity developments, financial market, business governance, bank financing, etc.), green economy and sustainable development (developing process, development policy, public policy, sustainable growth, green growth, etc.), and international trade and investment (international trade theory, free trade agreements, tariffs, intellectual property, international law, etc.). The book would interest a wide array of professors, researchers, lecturers, students in fields of economics, consultants, and decision makers interested in the issues related to economic issues in Asia.

This book continues the discussion from Volume 1 on the general considerations regarding global changes and contemporary economic issues in Asian countries in real terms. It offers a collection of original conference papers from the annual international conferences on “Contemporary economic issues in Asian countries” (CEIAC Conference) commenced in 2022 in collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF, Sungkyunkwan University (Korea), and Tamkang University (Taiwan). The theme of the CEIAC Conference 2022 deals with broad aspects of the contemporary economic issues in Asian countries. It covers topics such as economics and business (economic theory, national and international income distribution, macroeconomic policies, sectors of economy, productivity developments, financial market, business governance, bank financing, etc.), green economy and sustainable development (developing process, development policy, public policy, sustainable growth, green growth, etc.), and international trade and investment (international trade theory, free trade agreements, tariffs, intellectual property, international law, etc.). The book would interest a wide array of professors, researchers, lecturers, students in fields of economics, consultants, and decision makers interested in the issues related to economic issues in Asia.

This book is a spin-off from a highly successful seminar series jointly organized by the Division of Economics of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore. The seminars discuss contemporary domestic and regional economic issues and public policies that are relevant to the everyday lives of Singaporeans. The wish to introduce these economic issues to a broader audience outside the confinement of a lecture theatre, came to fruition, with the completion of this book.This book contains 13 chapters that are grouped under three sections. Under the section, “Public Policies and Economic Issues of Singapore”, Singapore's public policies in the areas of healthcare, Central Provident Fund, and monetary policy are explored, as well as issues concerning Singapore's economic development, such as economic transformation, innovation and capital accumulation are discussed. The second section, “Singapore and the Region in a Globalized World”, looks at the challenges and opportunities presented to Singapore and the region in an increasingly globalized world. Current issues on the sub-prime crisis and Asian monetary integration are also discussed. The last section, “Other Economic Issues”, consists of papers in specific areas such as economics of medical decisions, economics of love, and the role of exchange rates in foreign direct investment.

* 41 in-depth essays cover current economic theory and applied economics in a single, comprehensive volume * Interfaces section considers economics as it relates to other disciplines * Extensive notes, bibliographies and suggestions for further reading; detailed index of Topics and People `A treasure-house of stimulating argument and vast amounts of, mostly, well marshalled information. The market for general survey volumes, while already crowded, should surely find room for this offering.' - The World Economy `The work under review scores very high marks.' - The Economic Journal `The chapters are written by people who are excellently qualified and frequently well-known in their field ... The book's strengths lie in the range of contributors, the very high quality of most of the contributors and its emphasis on applied economics. For these reasons alone it is an important book, which will be invaluable both to students and to economists wishing to learn about developments in other branches of their discipline.' - Economica