Globalization and Free Trade

Praise for the previous edition:
"Highly recommended." Choice

"...a comprehensive and balanced approach to what is a complex and often contentious issue." American Reference Books Annual

"...jam-packed with detailed information...valuable for most academic and public libraries..." Library Journal

"...accessible...provides both a primer on issues of economic globalization and a guide to further research." Reference Research Book News

The term globalization has for decades been discussed by individuals across the globe, but especially so in the last few years with the onset of the global financial crisis. Yet the term continues to mean very different things to different people. To some, it implies ruthless exploitation by corporations; to others, the term suggests bringing economic development to the people of the world. Globalization has always been a complex issue, but the financial crisis has only created more layers of intricacy, and the need to understand globalization and all it involves has become increasingly vital in recent years.

Globalization and Free Trade, Second Edition provides an overview of the history of globalization and how it has evolved into its present state. This useful guide expresses the opinions by proponents and detractors of the issue, and case studies of the United States, East Asia, China, Cochabamba, and Iceland are presented to provide real-world context. Extensive new material has been added on the 2008 global financial crisis, focusing on the role of the United States in the crisis and subsequent actions taken by the Bush and Obama administrations, as well as the 2008 economic collapse in Iceland.