The Global Diffusion of Markets and Democracy [Hardcover]

Beth A. Simmons (Editor), Frank Dobbin (Editor), Geoffrey Garrett (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521878896 | ISBN-13: 978-0521878890 | Publication Date: March 17, 2008 | Edition: 1

The diffusion of markets and democracy around the world was a defining feature of the late twentieth century. Many social scientists view this economic and political liberalization as the product of independent choices by national governments. This book argues that policy and political changes were influenced heavily by prior actions of external actors: not just other governments, but international organizations and communities of experts. Drawing together insights from economics, sociology, political science and international relations, the contributors focus on four mechanisms by which markets and democracy have diffused through interdependent decision-making: coercion and the impact of powerful countries and international actors; economic competition for markets and investment; learning from experiences of other countries; and emulation among countries. These mechanisms are tested empirically using sophisticated quantitative techniques in areas as diverse as capital account and investment policy, human rights and democratization, and government downsizing, privatization and taxation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Simmons, Dobbin and Garrett have put together a most impressive collection of studies of policy diffusion in world society. The chapters are sophisticated theoretically, and state-of-the-art methodologically and make a strong contribution toward a general analysis of global policy integration. They also contribute greatly to the study of the recent worldwide wave of liberal policies of political democratization and economic marketization."
John W. Meyer, Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, Stanford University

"The case made in this book for international diffusion is a compelling one--for several reasons. One is the rigorous methodology deployed by the authors, and another is the care they all take to sort out not just international versus domestic influences on the adoption of liberalizing innovations but also the relative explanatory power of the same four competing models of why and how innovations spread across national boundaries. A third strength, especially in view of similarities in the conclusions drawn about the role of diffusion and the processes that drive it, is the range of policies examined by the authors..."
Perspectives on Politics, Valerie Bunce, Cornell University

Book Description

Drawing together insights from economics, sociology, political science and international relations, this book explores interdependent decision-making among countries with respect to economic and political liberalization. The contributors focus on four mechanisms by which markets and democracy have diffused and test these mechanisms in a wide range of policy areas.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (March 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521878896
• ISBN-13: 978-0521878890
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,736,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)