Every Firm for Itself

‘International trade has risen to the top of the world’s political and policy agendas. This makes it especially important to understand the politics of trade policy, especially in the developed countries that dominate the international trading system. In Every Firm for Itself, Mary Anne Madeira highlights the centrality of intra-industry trade to today’s international economy. She draws upon modern firm-based trade theory to argue that intra-industry and intra-firm trade have changed the nature of trade politics, and applies her argument to the United States and the European Union. The book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand contemporary trade politics and policy.’ Jeff Frieden, Columbia University‘Madeira moves us beyond factoral and sectoral models to explore the firm-specific political implications of ‘new new’ trade theory. Her subtle and sophisticated analysis convincingly resolves such puzzles as why lobbying is one-sidedly pro-trade, why non-tariff barriers rose even as tariffs declined, and - not least - how seemingly innocuous intra-industry trade has provoked rage against elites. Madeira’s impressive book is a ‘must-read’ for all students of international political economy.’ Ron Rogowski, University of California, Los Angeles

Mary Anne Madeira is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Lehigh University. She was a Jean Monnet Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. She is the co-author, with James A. Caporaso of Globalization, Institutions and Governance (2011).