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Book Reviews on...

The Globalization Paradox by Dani Rodrik
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The Globalization Paradox

by Dani Rodrik

The book, according to the author

Q. Can you tell me about your book, The Globalization Paradox?

“My book…goes back to the 17th century and talks about an early model of globalisation that was sustained by chartered trading companies. It describes the 19th century and the collapse of the gold standard and then comes to the present. Part of the book is historical, part of it is a survey of economists’ ideas about globalisation, and how they’ve gone back and forth from the silly to the more reasonable. It gently pokes fun at various economists, both dead and alive, for their ideas.

I lay out what I call the political trilemma of the world economy. I say that of the following three things – national self-determination, political democracy and hyper-globalisation – we can have at most two, and that we need to make an explicit choice as to which two we want. Many of our troubles stem from the fact we seem to be pushing for all three things simultaneously. We want more economic globalisation, while we embrace democracy and our national sovereignty, and that’s an incompatibility of the first order.’

Q. And what do you advise?

I advocate giving up hyper-globalisation. It’s not an argument against globalisation per se, but it’s an argument against an extreme form of globalisation or pushing for increased globalisation. Because both democracy and national self-determination are also important values. We will have a better, safer, healthier economic globalisation if we accept – and do so explicitly – that democracy will remain mostly a national phenomenon, and that national self-determination is a value in and of itself, because each society has the right to select its own institutions and rules and regulations. And once you accept those, then you have to give up an extreme form of globalisation, and act accordingly.”

Best Books on Globalisation, Five Books interview with Professor Dani Rodrik, December 2010

Other books by Dani Rodrik

Combating Inequality: Rethinking Government's Role by Dani Rodrik & Olivier Blanchard (editors)

Combating Inequality: Rethinking Government's Role
by Dani Rodrik & Olivier Blanchard (editors)

Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy by Dani Rodrik

Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy
by Dani Rodrik

Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science by Dani Rodrik

Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science
by Dani Rodrik

One Economics, Many Recipes by Dani Rodrik

One Economics, Many Recipes
by Dani Rodrik

In Search of Prosperity by Dani Rodrik

In Search of Prosperity
by Dani Rodrik

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