ABSTRACT
The nation state has traditionally been viewed as the key actor in the politics of international trade. In this traditional view, the government of a nation state articulates the political interests of its constituents in making trade policy and negotiating (or choosing not to do so) with other governments and international actors to achieve policy objectives. A more contemporary view holds that nation states have had their power eviscerated by the rise of transnational capital, technology and international organizations. The broad aim of this chapter is to investigate whether either view is valid for trade politics in the contemporary world economy.
