ROBERT GILPIN

Las revueltas y manifestaciones que han rodeado las últimas cumbres mundiales sobre economía demuestran que el capitalismo global se enfrenta a grandes desafíos en un futuro próximo. ¿Realizarán los países socialistas con éxito la transición a la economía de mercado? ¿Qué papel jugará China en la economía del futuro? ¿Continuarán los Estados Unidos ejerciendo el liderazgo mundial?. Este libro explora las posibles respuestas a estas preguntas; se adentra en problemas como la liberalización del comercio, las grandes corporaciones o los flujos desestabilizadores de capital, y mantiene que el capitalismo global y la internacionalización de la economía deben contar con sólidos cimientos políticos. El reto del capitalismo global describe los riesgos y oportunidades inherentes a la globalización con la claridad y profundidad del experto en relaciones internacionales Robert Gilpin. Su exposición proporciona el contrapunto al excesivo triunfalismo que ha caracterizado el pensamiento norteamericano de finales del siglo XX.

War and Change in World Politics introduces the reader to an important new theory of international political change. Arguing that the fundamental nature of international relations has not changed over the millennia, Professor Gilpin uses history, sociology, and economic theory to identify the forces causing change in the world order. The discussion focuses on the differential growth of power in the international system and the result of this unevenness. A shift in the balance of power - economic or military - weakens the foundations of the existing system, because those gaining power see the increasing benefits and the decreasing cost of changing the system. The result, maintains Gilpin, is that actors seek to alter the system through territorial, political, or economic expansion until the marginal costs of continuing change are greater than the marginal benefits. When states develop the power to change the system according to their interests they will strive to do so- either by increasing economic efficiency and maximizing mutual gain, or by redistributing wealth and power in their own favour.

"Robert Gilpin, the dean of American students of international political economy, has provided us with a masterful guide to the state of the world economy and how it can be explained. Current developments are placed in historical and theoretical perspective. In a book that is deeply thought as well as deeply researched and carefully argued, Gilpin has produced a landmark study."--Robert Jervis, Columbia University ""Global Political Economy" undertakes a comprehensive survey of major aspects of the world political economy from the perspective of a leading ''realist'' political scientist. Robert Gilpin emphasizes the continuing importance of the state and the great impact of variations in state structure and policy around the world. His book is an impressive attempt to synthesize economic and political analysis to understand the forces affecting globalization, state policy, and the results of their interaction for economic development and international trade, investment, and finance."--Robert O. Keohane, Duke University This book is the eagerly awaited successor to Robert Gilpin''s 1987 "The Political Economy of International Relations," the classic statement of the field of international political economy that continues to command the attention of students, researchers, and policymakers. The world economy and political system have changed dramatically since the 1987 book was published. The end of the Cold War has unleashed new economic and political forces, and new regionalisms have emerged. Computing power is increasingly an impetus to the world economy, and technological developments have changed and are changing almost every aspect of contemporary economic affairs. Gilpin''s "Global Political Economy" considers each of these developments. Reflecting a lifetime of scholarship, it offers a masterful survey of the approaches that have been used to understand international economic relations and the problems faced in the new economy. Gilpin focuses on the powerful economic, political, and technological forces that have transformed the world. He gives particular attention to economic globalization, its real and alleged implications for economic affairs, and the degree to which its nature, extent, and significance have been exaggerated and mi