Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics, 5th Edition

This fully revised fifth edition continues to offer the authoritative introduction to today's global political economy and its historical context. O'Brien and Williams move beyond the traditional three-paradigm perspective to show how these theories can be applied and their efficacy in tackling key developments and issues. In doing so, the authors offer an all-encompassing analysis of the multiple theories, themes, and issues to create a comprehensive guide to the topic.

The authors first trace the evolution of the global economy from its roots in fifteenth century through the Industrial Revolution, to the post-1945 world order. They then proceed to explore in more detail the dynamics of today's global political economy, providing systematic coverage of the key spheres of activity, from trade, production and finance to social divisions, development, the environment, ideas, security and governance. This edition includes new material on the Greek financial crisis and the changing role of the BRICS countries in global governance, as these developments upset the dominance of the US and Europe in the world economy today.

Supported by multiple boxed exhibits, further reading links, and a fully-featured companion website, this text is designed to be as accessible as possible. Online, students will find essay and multiple choice questions, podcasts and videos, timelines, and other materials to help consolidate learning.

“Praise for the previous edition: ”

'Once again, O'Brien and Williams have succeeded in making an excellent text even better. Wide-ranging and historically informed, the fifth edition provides up-to-date coverage of contemporary developments and the latest theoretical trends in the field.' - Benjamin Jerry Cohen, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA 'This is outstanding in its combination of high-quality scholarship, breadth of coverage and even-handed treatment of all theoretical vantages. An invaluable book for students - and teachers - of IPE.' - Randall Germain, Carleton University, Canada 'This is a hugely important textbook, which I have found to be extremely helpful for the teaching of International Political Economy. It provides an excellent overview of the key themes in IPE and a platform for students to identify and develop their key interests in a more in-depth way.'- Andreas Bieler, University of Nottingham, UK

Robert O'Brien is Professor of Political Science at McMaster University, Canada. He has published books and articles on the subjects of international trade, global labour issues, social movements and international economic institutions, global social policy.

Marc Williams is Professor of International Relations, at The University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focuses on global environmental politics, social movements, and global economic governance.

The landscape of the world economy has been significantly reshaped in recent years. The global economic crisis revealed the fragile foundations of the international financial system, and, in its wake, dynamics of economic power have considerably adjusted. In the fifth edition of this best-selling text, these developments are incorporated into a comprehensive introduction to the global political economy. It takes full account of the emergence of China as a contender to the predominance of the US, of the changing role of the BRICS economies more generally, and of the on-going problems of the European Union, and especially the eurozone. While incorporating the latest developments, Global Political Economy continues to provide a historically-grounded account. It traces the evolution of the global economy, from its roots in the 15th century, through the Industrial Revolution, to the post-1945 world order. It then explores in detail the dynamics of global political economy in the 21st century, providing systematic coverage of the key spheres of activity - trade, production, finance, labour, gender, development, the environment, ideas, security and governance. Lucid, engaging and authoritative, Global Political Economy introduces an unusually wide range of theoretical approaches, moving beyond a traditional three-paradigm perspective to show how these theories can be applied and how useful they are for understanding key issues and developments.

The landscape of the world economy has been significantly reshaped in recent years. The global economic crisis revealed the fragile foundations of the international financial system, and, in its wake, dynamics of economic power have considerably adjusted. In the fifth edition of this best-selling text, these developments are incorporated into a comprehensive introduction to the global political economy. It takes full account of the emergence of China as a contender to the predominance of the US, of the changing role of the BRICS economies more generally, and of the on-going problems of the European Union, and especially the eurozone. While incorporating the latest developments, Global Political Economy continues to provide a historically-grounded account. It traces the evolution of the global economy, from its roots in the 15th century, through the Industrial Revolution, to the post-1945 world order. It then explores in detail the dynamics of global political economy in the 21st century, providing systematic coverage of the key spheres of activity - trade, production, finance, labour, gender, development, the environment, ideas, security and governance. Lucid, engaging and authoritative, Global Political Economy introduces an unusually wide range of theoretical approaches, moving beyond a traditional three-paradigm perspective to show how these theories can be applied and how useful they are for understanding key issues and developments.

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