Transatlantic Governance in the Global Economy

This important book examines transatlantic economic relations in the 1990s, and in particular efforts by the United States and the European Union to establish new forms of governance to cope with increasing economic interdependence.

Governance in the global economy is a topic of enormous importance. Despite the triumph of free trade, many actors still try to protect important sectors of society from the potentially destructive effects of unfettered free markets, and rules remain indispensable in settling disputes among states over trade, investments, and copyrights. This book is particularly significant because of its conceptual clarity and broad scope. Focusing on the transatlantic area as the engine of the world economy, the editors assess three different conceptual models offered by scholars: the classic state-centered approach, the transgovernmental approach, and the transnational system of private actors in an emerging global society. After a series of excellent case studies on trade and competition policies, food safety, business and labor dialogues, and civil-society initiatives, the editors conclude that ''the U.S. executive and the European Commission have been and remain the dominant actors in transatlantic governance.'' Among all these networks, business remains the most successful. At a time when many essay collections are loosely shaped, unoriginal, or jargon-ridden, this one is a model of research and analysis. —-Foreign Affairs