The struggle for world leadership between China and the United States, resulting in Russia's war with Ukraine, among other things, underscores the reality of structural changes in the global economy and the global system. This book explains that a new era of egocentrism and polycrisis in a multipolar system has emerged in international economic policy, with a strong drive toward interventionism and protectionism of national economies. Dynamic economic imbalances are becoming a constant factor in disrupting international competitiveness and forcing changes in both monetary policy and general economic policy. This prompts a new, more pragmatic definition of fundamental concepts in the theoretical sphere as well as an up-to-date and viable cause-and-effect narrative that is not disconnected from decision-making processes in the economic and political spheres. This book provides a comprehensive diagnosis of the current global economy landscape and evaluates the processes affecting the economic and financial realities and the effectiveness of economic policies. The recent dynamics have rendered much of the existing literature outdated or confined to individual economies, economic systems, and regions. The book describes the evolution of international economic policy, offering a comparative analysis of foreign trade theories, especially in the context of macroeconomic trends and the impact of international trade in goods and services in the new balance of power of the global economy. Targeted primarily at academics, students, and researchers in economics, finance, international relations, and management, it will also serve as a valuable resource for policymakers shaping and implementing contemporary state economic policies.

The European Union beyond the Polycrisis? explores the political dynamics of multiple crises faced by the EU, both at European level and within the member states. In so doing, it provides a state-of-the-art overview of current research on the relationship between politicization and European integration. The book proposes that the EU’s multi-dimensional crisis can be seen as a multi-level ‘politics trap’, from which the Union is struggling to escape. The individual contributions analyze the mechanisms of this trap, its relationship to the multiple crises currently faced by the EU, and the strategies pursued by a plurality of actors (the Commission, the European Parliament, national governments) to cope with its constraints. Overall, the book suggests that comprehensive, ‘grand’ bargains are for the moment out of reach, although national and supranational actors can find ways of ‘relaxing’ the politics trap and in so doing perhaps lay the foundations for more ambitious future solutions. This book, dedicated to the exploration of the political dynamics of multiple, simultaneous crises, offers an empirical and theoretical assessment of the existing political constraints on European integration. Analysing domestic and European political reactions to the EU’s polycrisis and assessing how EU institutions, national governments and broader publics have responded to a new era of politicization, The European Union beyond the Polycrisis? will be of great interest to scholars of European politics and the EU, as well as professionals working in EU institutions, national administrations and European advocacy groups. The chapters were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.

Global polycrisis refers to the simultaneous occurrence of multiple interconnected crises. It is marked by the convergence and interaction of combined events, such as geopolitical tensions, economic instability, environmental degradation, public health emergencies, and social disturbance. In this context, this book explores the challenges and opportunities encountered by the Global South amid political instability, climate change, humanitarian crises, technological advancements, and regional cooperation. The book adopts a multidisciplinary framework, integrating theoretical studies with empirical cases from various southern regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This approach helps to foster an in-depth understanding of the complex challenges associated with development in these regions. The book emphasizes the perspectives and experiences of Global South countries, providing a platform for their voices to be heard. This allows readers to gain a more nuanced understanding of the unique contexts, perspectives, and successful experiences of countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Furthermore, it investigates issues such as governance, security, migration, development, and emergent technologies, illuminates the role of regional organizations in fostering regional integration, peace, and stability and ultimately, provides a comprehensive and refined analysis of the Global South that challenges prevalent stereotypes and offers new perspectives on the world’s complex realities today. It includes case studies that enhance the practical relevance of the book, offering real-world examples that illustrate the theoretical concepts and highlightingsuccessful approaches to addressing development challenges. The book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and students interested in comprehending and addressing the challenges encountered by the Global South in a time of global polycrisis.

This edition of the biennial Poverty and Shared Prosperity report brings sobering news. The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and its associated economic crisis, compounded by the effects of armed conflict and climate change, are reversing hard-won gains in poverty reduction and shared prosperity. The fight to end poverty has suffered its worst setback in decades after more than 20 years of progress. The goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, already at risk before the pandemic, is now beyond reach in the absence of swift, significant, and sustained action, and the objective of advancing shared prosperity—raising the incomes of the poorest 40 percent in each country—will be much more difficult. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune presents new estimates of COVID-19's impacts on global poverty and shared prosperity. Harnessing fresh data from frontline surveys and economic simulations, it shows that pandemic-related job losses and deprivation worldwide are hitting already poor and vulnerable people hard, while also shifting the profile of global poverty to include millions of 'new poor.' Original analysis included in the report shows that the new poor are more urban, better educated, and less likely to work in agriculture than those living in extreme poverty before COVID-19. It also gives new estimates of the impact of conflict and climate change, and how they overlap. These results are important for targeting policies to safeguard lives and livelihoods. It shows how some countries are acting to reverse the crisis, protect those most vulnerable, and promote a resilient recovery. These findings call for urgent action. If the global response fails the world's poorest and most vulnerable people now, the losses they have experienced to date will be minimal compared with what lies ahead. Success over the long term will require much more than stopping COVID-19. As efforts to curb the disease and its economic fallout intensify, the interrupted development agenda in low- and middle-income countries must be put back on track. Recovering from today's reversals of fortune requires tackling the economic crisis unleashed by COVID-19 with a commitment proportional to the crisis itself. In doing so, countries can also plant the seeds for dealing with the long-term development challenges of promoting inclusive growth, capital accumulation, and risk prevention—particularly the risks of conflict and climate change.

This book reviews the strategies for the development of sustainable health promotion practices, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with case examples from the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning with a historical survey of the global agenda of health promotion over the past decades, the book analyses the evolving standards, goals and strategies of health promotion as well as the challenges encountered in implementing health promotion practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both social and environmental determinants of population health are examined here. Contributors have assessed socio-economic inequalities present in health promotion practices and highlighted the need for balance between economic development and financial sustainability in health services and educational programming. A framework for improved lifelong population health for all is also suggested. This review of social, economic, environmental, and ecological contexts in health promotion will be of interest to policymakers, academics, and practitioners. In particular, scholars of health policy and health promotion, as well as public administration and development studies, will find this a useful volume.

The global economy has experienced many challenges in recent times, particularly in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as dwindling demand, supply chain disruptions, declining growth rates, further pandemic waves, and increasing poverty and inequality to name but a few. Four years after the pandemic, economies are still struggling to achieve sustainable economic growth and development. While much has been written about the impact of COVID-19 on various sectors and economies, this is the first book to underscore the post-COVID global uncertainties that are still occurring on the world stage and further, to present the recent challenges such as geo-political tensions, war, economic disturbances, climate change, the energy crisis in Europe, recession in developed economies and its effect on developing and least developed economies. The book starts by setting the grounds for further discussion of the present challenges as well as future implications. In addition to examining the immediate issues which occurred with the onset of the pandemic, it explores these from the perspective of developed, developing, and least developed countries. The wide-ranging topics covered by the book include the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, China’s increasing economic dominance in neighbouring countries, the economic collapse of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the factors that led to the technology layoffs and the future of global employees and economies. The book goes beyond looking at sector-specific factors and broadly outlines country-specific instabilities, policy choices and the way forward. The book will be of interest to students of macroeconomics, development and international economics, and international relations as well as researchers and policymakers.

Women, Business and the Law 2021 is the seventh in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The project presents eight indicators structured around women’s interactions with the law as they move through their lives and careers: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension. This year’s report updates all indicators as of October 1, 2020 and builds evidence of the links between legal gender equality and women’s economic inclusion. By examining the economic decisions women make throughout their working lives, as well as the pace of reform over the past 50 years, Women, Business and the Law 2021 makes an important contribution to research and policy discussions about the state of women’s economic empowerment. Prepared during a global pandemic that threatens progress toward gender equality, this edition also includes important findings on government responses to COVID-19 and pilot research related to childcare and women’s access to justice.