Global Public Policy : Business and the Countervailing Powers of Civil Society (Ripe Series in Global Political Economy)

We are in a critical period where civil society organizations actively influence business political behaviour, while corporations and business associations are adopting new and flexible strategies aimed at closer contact with civil society. Against the backdrop of such broad reorientations, this book analyzes the new and changing roles of business and civil society actors to offer an accurate portrayal of the formation of global public policy. With contributions from leading experts in the field, it investigates the potential for, and emergence of, new policy arrangements along with their patterns of conflict and cooperation. Building upon theoretical inspirations from various traditions studying international affairs, this volume develops and applies the concepts of policy arrangements and countervailing power to the field of global business - civil society relations. A range of key issues including labour, consumers, global finance, the mining industry, climate policy and the World Economic and Social Forums are examined. Global Public Policy will be of strong interest to students and researchers of international political economy, international relations and international business.