Governing Under Stress

Certain countries are characterized by the distinctive structural condition of semi-peripherality. Whether defined in social, cultural, economic or simply spatial terms, semi-peripheral countries share a consciousness of subordination to the centre – specifically the United States – as well as the means to resist. This differentiates them from both those countries at the centre which lack any such consciousness, and poor and powerless countries on the periphery. The contributors to this volume focus on four countries in North America, Central America, Europe and the Antipodes – namely Canada, Mexico, Norway and Australia. They examine the international institutions, including NAFTA, the WTO and the EU, forming the framework for globalization. They detail the constraints facing these countries and the possibilities for pursuing their own independent policies. They discuss the new economic, political and social issues of governance that are emerging, and the possibilities for the future.