The field of global trade is no less controversial today than it was centuries ago with continuing issues over trade agreements and the traditional debate over liberalization and protectionism. The papers in this volume represent the key scholarly works that have contributed to this debate about global trade and place them within the context of the ever-expanding globalization facing all states.

John J. Kirton, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada

Contents: Introduction; Part I Foundations and Historical Overviews: Power versus plenty as objectives of foreign policy in the 17th and 18th centuries, Jacob Viner; An economic theory of protectionism, tariff bargaining and the formation of customs unions, Harry G. Johnson. Part II Systemic Causes of International Trade Policy and Regimes: Protectionism and world politics, Susan Strange; The political economy of international trade, Helen V. Milner; Power politics and international trade, Joanne Gowa and Edward D. Mansfield; The globalization of liberalization: policy diffusion in the international political economy, Beth A. Simmons and Zachary Elkins. Part III Societal and State Causes of International Trade Policy and Regimes: The political economy of international trade: enduring puzzles and an agenda for inquiry, James E. Alt, Jeffry Frieden, Michael J. Gilligan, Dani Rodrik and Ronald Rogowski; Between free trade and protectionism, Helen V. Milner and David B. Yoffie; Why democracies co-operate more: electoral control and international trade agreements, Edward D. Mansfield Helen V. Milner and B. Peter Rosendorff. Part IV Consequences of Trade: Growth, Equity, Environment, Labour and Human Rights: Does trade cause growth?, Jeffrey A. Frankel and David Romer; The politics of participation: decision-making processes and developing countries in the World Trade Organization, Amrita Narlikar; Political cleavages and changing exposure to trade, Ronald Rogowski; The fair trade-free trade debate: trade, labor and the environment, Robert Howse and Michael Trebilcock. Part V Global Trade Institutions: The GATT in historical perspective, Douglas A. Irwin; The GATT and the regulation of trade barriers: regime dynamics and functions, Jock A. Finlayson and Mark W. Zacher; The World Trade Organization: a new stage in international trade and development, Raymond Vernon; The World Trade Organization: institution-building in the multilateral trade system, Gilgert R. Winham. Part VI Regionalism and Multilateralism: NAFTA and the legalization of world politics: a case study, Frederick M. Abbott; International law and domestic institutions: reconciling North American 'unfair' trade laws, Judith Goldstein; Multilateralising regionalism: spaghetti bowls as building blocs on the path to global free trade, Richard E. Baldwin; Name index.