The Economics of International Integration

by Robson; Peter

• ISBN13: 9780415148764
• ISBN10: 0415148766
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-12-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This new edition has been completely revised to reflect the latest developments in the past decade and current policy initiatives. It is an accessible introduction to the economics of regional integration among nation states.

Table of Contents

List of figures and tables	ix	(2)
List of abbreviations and acronyms	xi	(3)
Preface	xiv
1 Introduction	1	(16)
The scope of the subject	2	(5)
The emergence of the theory of international economic integration	7	(2)
The present reach of international economic integration: a global perspective	9	(6)
Plan of the book	15	(2)
2 The theory of customs unions and free trade areas	17	(20)
The theoretical context	17	(1)
Customs unions and resource allocation	18	(10)
The economics of a free trade area	28	(9)
3 Broadening the framework	37	(14)
The terms-of-trade effects of customs unions and free trade areas	39	(2)
Economies of scale in customs union theory	41	(7)
Conclusion	48	(3)
4 Customs unions versus unilateral tariff reduction	51	(12)
The superiority of unilateral tariff reduction?	52	(3)
The analysis of customs unions with public goods	55	(4)
Public goods and the rationale for customs unions	59	(4)
5 The rationale for the integration of other economic policies	63	(9)
Policies to overcome allocational cross-border spillovers	65	(1)
Policies to overcome stabilization spillovers	66	(1)
Policies for cohesion and convergence	67	(1)
The dynamics of policy integration	68	(4)
6 The theory of common markets	72	(10)
Integration and intra-bloc capital flows	74	(2)
Foreign capital and the costs and benefits of integration	76	(4)
Factor supplies, dynamic effects and convergence	80	(1)
Conclusion	81	(1)
7 The new economics of market integration	82	(27)
Competition and the gains from integration	83	(9)
Market integration: appraising the gains	92	(9)
The progress and impact of the Single European market	101	(8)
8 Transnational corporations and regional integration	109	(14)
Internalization and the gains from integration	110	(3)
Regional economic integration and the investment decisions of TNCs	113	(3)
Public policy and TNCs	116	(3)
TNCs and regional integration in Europe	119	(4)
9 Fiscal integration	123	(40)
Economic efficiency and the assignment of functions	123	(4)
The relevance of fiscal federalism to regional economic integration	127	(12)
The budget of the European Union	139	(12)
EU budgetary issues in the longer term	151	(12)
10 Fiscal harmonization	163	(27)
The harmonization of indirect taxes	165	(11)
The harmonization of direct taxes	176	(4)
Tax harmonization in the EU	180	(9)
Conclusion	189	(1)
11 Monetary integration	190	(41)
The benefits of monetary integration	193	(4)
The costs of monetary integration	197	(15)
Fiscal policy in a monetary union	212	(3)
Strategies for monetary integration	215	(2)
Monetary integration and the EU	217	(11)
Conclusion	228	(3)
12 Equity, cohesion and convergence: regional issues	231	(37)
The regional dimensions of economic integration	233	(10)
The rationale of regional policy in an economic community	243	(4)
The implementation of a community regional policy	247	(3)
Regional policy in the European Union	250	(18)
13 Economic integration in a global perspective: experience and initiatives	268	(31)
The `old' regionalism among developing countries	270	(7)
The `new' regionalism	277	(18)
Conclusion	295	(4)
References and select bibliography	299	(26)
Index	325