Advanced Introduction to Globalisation

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Globalisation impacts almost all aspects of life. It is often said that change is accelerating, and that the nation state is increasingly anachronistic. This book challenges that consensus, arguing that globalisation is neither an historic nor technological inevitability; rather, globalisation and technological change are as old as capitalism itself.

Jonathan Michie makes the case for a new, more realistic approach to economics. He argues that the reduced power of national governments is a result of the free-market reforms of globalisation created in the 1980s era of Thatcher and Reagan, which led to the 2008 global financial crisis and recession. The free-market ‘capitalism unleashed’ form of globalisation is neither inevitable nor desirable – it is possible to develop a new global green deal for economic progress, being socially and environmentally sustainable. Michie demonstrates that capital has become unproductive with increased speculation and tax evasion, and that taxing wealth is necessary to create a new era of globally sustainable development.

Key features include:

• in-depth coverage of globalisation written in a concise and accessible style

• disputes the consensus that globalisation is an historic or technological inevitability

• focus on current issues such as unproductive capital, a result of increased speculation, tax evasion and avoidance

• advocates policy proposals for global regulation, taxation and corporate diversity

• argues the need for a new global green deal for social and environmental sustainability and makes a clear case for an improved and more realistic approach to economics.

The Advanced Introduction to Globalisation will be a challenging yet engaging read for policy makers, academics and advanced students of economics, management and business, politics and environmental studies. This book sets out an alternative worldview which will interest anyone concerned with our future global prospects.