ABSTRACT

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.

chapter 1|42 pages

Introduction

Global public policy – the new policy arrangements of business and countervailing groups

chapter 5|22 pages

Privilege and underprivilege

Countervailing groups, policy and the mining industry at the global level

chapter 6|22 pages

Two worlds apart?

Davos' World Economic Forum and Porto Alegre's World Social Forum

chapter 7|20 pages

The evolution of climate policy

Business and environmental organizations between alliance building and entrenchment

chapter 8|11 pages

Conclusions

The Predicaments of the new policy arrangements in global public policy