The Floating World Issues in International Trade Theory

In The Floating World, Emeritus Professor of Economics Wilfred Ethier collates 22 papers that delve deep into the study on International Trade Theory. These papers are grouped into six distinct sections. Each covers an overarching research program in trade theory -- Factor-Endowments Theory, Economies of Scale, International Factor Markets, Regional Integration, the Political Economy of Trade Policy, and Administered Protection. An additional section for important papers outside of those programs is also included. With papers originally written in the 1970s all the way up to recent times, Ethier provides contemporary commentary for each section, referring to further sources, candid accounts on the state of international trade theory at the time and how each paper contributed to further improvements of their respective research program.

Wilfred J Ethier, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, collects together 22 of his papers that delve deeply into the study of international trade theory. The papers fall into six sections, with some originally written from the 1970s up to recent times. Each section addresses a critical research program in trade theory — Factor-Endowments Theory, Economies of Scale, International Factor Markets, Regional Integration, the Political Economy of Trade Policy, and Administered Protection. An additional section for important papers outside these programs is also included. Ethier provides contemporary commentary for each section, referring to further sources, giving candid accounts of the state of international trade theory at the time the papers were written, and describing how each paper contributed to further development of its respective research program.