International Political Economy: A Reader

International Political Economy: A Reader is a collection of primary readings that introduces students to international political economy (IPE)--an area of study concerned with the relationship between the two dominant forms of social organization in the modern world, "the state," and "the market."

Ranging from Adam Smith's theory of the invisible hand to recent discussions of hemispheric integration, this reader contains thirty-five unabridged selections that highlight the historical development, major theoretical debates, and practical issues within the field.

The text is divided into five Parts:

* Part I: The Dominant Theories of IPE covers the three sets of theoretical approaches that make up the core of IPE: liberalism, mercantilism, and Marxism.
* Part II: Structures of IPE builds on the foundation established in the first part to examine three topics: international trade; money and finance; and international production and multinational corporations.
* Part III: Economic Globalization and the "State" explores the process of economic globalization and its implications for "the state."
* Part IV: Regional Integration presents the debates surrounding the phenomenon of economically motivated regional integration that is observable in and beyond the oecd world, and particularly in Europe, the Western hemisphere, and Southeast Asia.
* Part V: Towards the 21st Century?, presents recent discussions of familiar and new topics that are of increasing importance in the new millennium such as North-South development, sustainable development, and transition economies.

Each Part begins with an introduction that guides students in the concepts necessary for the interpretation of individual readings. Each concludes with study questions and annotated suggestions for further reading.

Axel Hülsemeyer is Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at Concordia University.