The Political Economy of National Security: A Global Perspective

The Political Economy of National Security is the only text on the market that analyzes the economic dimensions of national security. Given the specialization of writings in international relations, authors tend to treat "security studies" and "political economy" as separate spheres with no apparent linkage. By probing the interface between economics and security, this text offers a deeper understanding of both.

Business & Money

Kapstein, Ethan B.

Economics

Mcgraw-Hill College

The West has endured seven major fuel crises since 1944; these crises have threatened not only the well-being of the western alliance but also its military preparedness and political cohesion. Because energy security was deemed vital, the United States and its Western European and Japanese allies attempted to formulate a collective response to each crisis. Based on extensive archival research both in the United States and abroad, Kapstein here explains why alliance relations have been characterized by cooperation during some energy crises and conflict during others.

The Insecure Alliance: Energy Crises and Western Politics Since 1944

History

Asia

Oxford University Press

Argues that international economic cooperation has its benefits, and that improving the lot of labor will help to sustain growth

Sharing the Wealth: Workers and the World Economy

Kapstein

W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.

The recent backlash against democracy in such countries as Bolivia, Venezuela, Russia, and Georgia poses renewed concerns about the viability of this regime type in the developing world. Drawing on a unique data set of every democratization episode since 1960, this book explores the underlying reasons for backsliding and reversal in the world's fledgling democracies and offers some proposals with respect to what the international community might do to help these states stay on track toward political stability. Rejecting earlier scholarship on this topic, which focused on poor economic performance as the leading cause of democratic reversal, Kapstein and Converse argue that the core of the problem is found in the weak institutions that have been built in much of the developing world, which encourage leaders to abuse their power. Understanding the underlying reasons for democratic failure is essential if we are to offer policy recommendations that have any hope of making a difference on the ground.

The Fate of Young Democracies

Converse, Nathan

Cambridge University Press

Review\n“Ethan Kapstein provides us an historical panorama of how, in the postwar period, the US sought to establish not only a rule-based system but one built on private enterprise. As it turns out, the motivation was not just the narrowly self-interested reason of advancing the interests of American multinationals, but had deeper ideological roots. Kapstein provides fresh insights into a neglected topic: the liberal order narrative.”―Stephan Haggard, University of California, San Diego\n“Ethan Kapstein has drawn on his rare combination of academic expertise and professional experience to craft a wide-ranging and provocative analysis of the sources, implementation, and impact of US government efforts to promote capitalism abroad. The lessons he draws about the effectiveness of US foreign aid policies will help scholars and policymakers think more historically and creatively about the means and ends of efforts to advance the national interest by reshaping the world.”―David S. Painter, Georgetown University\n“Foreign direct investment by the United States to promote private enterprise has often been overlooked by scholars exploring the variety of competing approaches to promote economic growth and change around the world. Kapstein draws out the longer history of such efforts, highlighting one underappreciated segment of the complex global story of international development.”―David Ekbladh, Tufts University\n“Kapstein highlights an important but neglected component to US strategy during the Cold War: encouraging private enterprise around the world to spread capitalism and economic development. Combining personal knowledge and research that ranges from East Asia to Latin America, he brings the story up to date and with lessons for the globalization challenges of today.”―Douglas Irwin, Dartmouth College\n“A very interesting and enjoyable read, gaining much from the author’s personal practical experience.”―Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist\nThe first comprehensive history of America’s attempts to promote international development by exporting private enterprise, a story marked by frequent failure and occasional success.\nForeign aid is a primary tool of US foreign policy, but direct financial support and ventures like the Peace Corps constitute just a sliver of the American global development pie. Since the 1940s, the United States has relied on the private sector to carry out its ambitions in the developing world. This is the first full account of what has worked and, more often, what has failed in efforts to export American-style capitalism.\nEthan Kapstein draws on archival sources and his wide-ranging experience in international development to provide penetrating case studies from Latin America and East Asia to the former Soviet Union, Afghanistan, and Iraq. After WWII the Truman and Eisenhower administrations urged US companies to expand across the developing world. But corporations preferred advanced countries, and many developing nations, including Taiwan and South Korea, were cool to foreign investment. The Cold War made exporting capitalism more important than ever, even if that meant overthrowing foreign governments. The fall of the Soviet Union brought new opportunities as the United States promoted privatization and the bankrolling of local oligarchs. Following the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States believed it had blank slates for building these economies, but ongoing conflict eroded such hopes.\nKapstein’s sobering history shows that private enterprise is no substitute for foreign aid. Investors are often unwilling to put capital at risk in unstable countries. Only in settings with stable governments and diverse economic elites can private enterprise take root. These lessons are crucial as the United States challenges China for global influence.

Exporting Capitalism: Private Enterprise and US Foreign Policy

Harvard University Press

Governing the Global Economy: International Finance and the State

No area has become more global in its operations, more volatile, and thus more difficult to monitor and control than international banking. International banker and political economist Kapstein explores government action to cope with the economic and political consequences associated with the globalization of international finance.

Recent years have seen a growing number of activists, scholars, and even policymakers claiming that the global economy is unfair and unjust, particularly to developing countries and the poor within them. But what would a fair or just global economy look like? Economic Justice in an Unfair World seeks to answer that question by presenting a bold and provocative argument that emphasizes economic relations among states.
 The book provides a market-oriented focus, arguing that a just international economy would be one that is inclusive, participatory, and welfare-enhancing for all states. Rejecting radical redistribution schemes between rich and poor, Ethan Kapstein asserts that a politically feasible approach to international economic justice would emphasize free trade and limited flows of foreign assistance in order to help countries exercise their comparative advantage.
 Kapstein also addresses justice in labor, migration, and investment, in each case defending an approach that concentrates on nation-states and their unique social compacts. Clearly written for all those with a stake in contemporary debates over poverty reduction and development, the book provides a breakthrough analysis of what the international community can reasonably do to build a global economy that works to the advantage of every nation.

Economic Justice in an Unfair World: Toward a Level Playing Field

Reference

Princeton University Press

Recent years have seen a growing number of activists, scholars, and even policymakers claiming that the global economy is unfair and unjust, particularly to developing countries and the poor within them. But what would a fair or just global economy look like? Economic Justice in an Unfair World seeks to answer that question by presenting a bold and provocative argument that emphasizes economic relations among states.
The book provides a market-oriented focus, arguing that a just international economy would be one that is inclusive, participatory, and welfare-enhancing for all states. Rejecting radical redistribution schemes between rich and poor, Ethan Kapstein asserts that a politically feasible approach to international economic justice would emphasize free trade and limited flows of foreign assistance in order to help countries exercise their comparative advantage.
Kapstein also addresses justice in labor, migration, and investment, in each case defending an approach that concentrates on nation-states and their unique social compacts. Clearly written for all those with a stake in contemporary debates over poverty reduction and development, the book provides a breakthrough analysis of what the international community can reasonably do to build a global economy that works to the advantage of every nation.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kapstein, Ethan B.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kapstein, Ethan B.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kapstein, Ethan B.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Political Economy of National Security: A Global Perspective

The Insecure Alliance: Energy Crises and Western Politics Since 1944

Sharing the Wealth: Workers and the World Economy

Sharing the Wealth: Workers and the World Economy

The Fate of Young Democracies

The Fate of Young Democracies

Exporting Capitalism: Private Enterprise and US Foreign Policy

Governing the Global Economy: International Finance and the State

Economic Justice in an Unfair World: Toward a Level Playing Field

Economic Justice in an Unfair World: Toward a Level Playing Field